BV 


C-NRLF 


DISCOURSE, 

IN 

TWO  PARTS, 

DELIVERED  JULY  23,  1812,  ON  THE 

PUBLIC  FAST, 

IN 

THE    CHAPEL   OF   YALE    COLLEGE* 

BY 

TIMOTHY  I> WIGHT,  D.D.L.L.D. 

PRESIDENT    OE    THAT    SEMINARY. 

—0+0— 
PUBLISHED  AT  THE  REQUEST  OF  THE  STUDENTS.  AND  OTHERS 


NEW-HAVEN: 

PUBLISHED    BY    HOWE    AND    DEFOREST. 
SOLD  ALSO  BY  A. T.  GOODRICH  AND  CO.  KO.  124,  BROADWAY,  NEW-YORK, 


Printed  by  J.  Seymour,  49,  John-street,  New- York. 


2,10 


PART  I. 


A  DISCOURSE, 


ISAIAH  xxi.  11,  12. 

The  burden  of  Dumah.  He  calleth  to  me  out  of  Seir,  Watch 
man,  what  of  the  night  ?  Watchman,  what  of  the  night  ? 

The  Watchman  said,  The  morning  cometh  ;  and  also  the  night. 
If  ye  will  inquire,  inquire  ye ;  return  ;  come. 


THIS  passage  of  Scripture  is  unconnected  with  any 
thing,  which  either  precedes  or  follows  it.  The  first 
clause  is  merely  a  title,  or  caption,  denoting  the  coun 
try  concerning  which  the  prediction  is  uttered  :  "  The 
burden  of  Dumah ;"  or  more  properly,  as  it  is  render 
ed  by  Bishop  Lowth,  "  The  oracle  concerning  Du 
mah"  Dumah  was  the  country  ofldumaa,  or  Edom  ; 
which  was  inhabited  by  JEsau,  and  his  descendants. 
"  He  calleth  to  me  out  of  Seir."  Seir,  as  you  know, 
was  a  mountain  in  that  country ;  the  place  originally 
chosen  by  Esau  for  his  residence  ;  whence  his  posteri 
ty  spread  over  the  neighbouring  region.  They  were 
often  at  war  with  the  people  of  Judah.  Saul  at 
tacked  them,  and  vexed  them :  1  Samuel  xiv.  47. 
David  subdued  them,  and  put  garrisons  in  their  for 
tresses  ;  so  that  they  became  his  tributaries  :  2  Samuel 
viii.  14.  1.  Chronicles  xviii.  12,  13.  In  the  days  of 


(     4     ) 

Solomon,  Hadad,  one  of  the  royal  family,  who  had 
fled  from  the  invasion  of  Joab  into  Egypt,  returned, 
and  re-established  himself  in  the  kingdom  :  whence,  it 
would  seem,  he  did  much  mischief  to  the  people  of  Is- 
rael.  In  the  time  of  Jehoshaphat,  they  united  with  the 
Ammonites,  and  the  Moabites,  to  invade  the  kingdom 
of  Judah.  But  the  Lord  set  ambnshments  against  the 
children  of  Ammon,  Moab,  and  Mount  Seir,  which 
were  come  against  Judah  ;  and  they  were  smitten  :  for 
the  children  of  Ammon,  and  Moab,  stood  up  against 
the  inhabitants  of  Mount  Seir,  utterly  to  slay  and  de 
stroy  them.  And  when  they  had  made  an  end  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Seir,  every  one  helped  to  destroy  another. 
After  this  singular  event,  the  Edomites  were  effectual 
ly  broken  down  for  a  course  of  years.  rlhere  was 
then,  we  are  informed,  no  king  in  Edom  :  a  deputy  was 
Itiag.  In  the  days  oiJehoram,  the  son  of  Jehoshaphat, 
they  revolted  j'rom  under  the  hand  of  Judah,  and  made 
a  king  over  themselves  :  and  although  Jehoram  de 
feated  them  111  battle,  they  still  preserved  their  inde 
pendence.  Amaziah  afterwards  attacked  them,  and 
destroyed  20,000  of  their  men.  Stili  they  continued 
an  independent  people,  till  they  were  finally  subdued  by 
John  Hyrcanus,  according  to  the  predictions  of  Jere- 
miah,  Ezedel,  and  Obadiah.  They  then  submitted  to 
be  circumcised ;  and  soon  ceased  to  be  a  distinct  peo 
ple. 

Of  this  nation,  one,  in  the  name  of  the  rest,  calls 
to  the  prophet  Isaiah  from  mount  Seir.  Or  perhaps 
Ihe  call  is  intended  to  be  from  the  whole  nation,  per 
sonified  agreeably  to  the  manner  of  writing,  which  is 
so  customary  with  the  prophets  of  the  Old  Testament. 
That  the  call  is  directed  to  Isaiah  himself,  there  can 
be  no  doubt :  because  he  asserts  it  in  the  most  direct 


terms,  "  He  calleth  to  ME."  The  prophet  is  addressed 
under  the  figurative  character  ot  a  Watchman  ;  i.  e.  a 
watchman,  appointed  by  GOD  for  the  nations  of  the 
earth.  As  his  predictions  were  successively  uttered 
against  many  nations,  and  might  be  expected  to  in 
clude  many  more,  the  Idumceans,  who  were  kindred 
to  the  Jews,  and  lived  in  their  neighbourhood,  are 
very  naturally  exhibited  as  wishing  to  know,  from  this 
inspired  minister  of  the  true  GOD,  what  were  the 
events,  which  were  to  befall  themselves ;  and  to  learn 
whether  the  prophet,  with  the  eye  of  Revelation,  saw 
any  danger  approaching  to  them.  This  is  the  more 
natural,  as  he  had  just  been  predicting  the  ruin  of  all 
the  neighbouring  countries  ;  of  Egypt,  of  the  country 
of  the  Philistines,  Syria,  Judaea,  Moab,  and  Babylon. 
After  these  predictions,  the  people  of  Idumcea  could 
hardly  fail  of  trembling,  lest  their  own  destiny  should 
be  next  announced,  or  of  anxiously  inquiring  of  what 
nature  it  should  be. 

The  inquiry,  so  solicitously  made  by  this  voice  from 
Mount  Seir,  is, "  Watchman,  what  of  the  night  ?  W  atch- 
man,  what  of  the  night  P"  "  The  night"  here  denotes, 
I  apprehend,  merely  the  period  of  time  for  which  the 
watchman  was  set  as  an  inspector  of  the  passing 
events.  In  familiar  language,  it  was  the  prophet's 
watch,  or  season  of  watching.  This  is  the  season 
concerning  which  they  inquire  ;  and  the  occurrences 
of  which,  so  far  as  they  respected  themselves,  they 
were  desirous  to  know.  The  repetition  of  the  inquiry 
shows,  that  they  ask  eagerly,  and  anxiously,  because 
they  are  deeply  alarmed  by  the  miserable  end  of  the 
surrounding  nations  concerning  the  fate  of  their  own. 

The  answer  of  the  prophet  is,  like  the  question, 
concise  and  figurative.  "  The  Watchman  said,  the 


morning  cometh  ;  and  also  the  night.  If  ye  will  in 
quire,  inquire  ye :  return;  come."  The  morning ,  the 
light,  and  tke  day,  are  in  the  Scriptures  familiar  figu 
rative  expressions  to  denote  prosperity.  Night  and 
darkness,  are  with  the  same  familiarity  used  to  denote 
adversity.  Such,  I  apprehend,  is  the  use  of  these 
terms  in  the  present  case.  The  prophet  may,  there 
fore,  be  considered  as  saying  to  the  people  of  Seir, 
and  to  the  Idumceans  generally,  The  morning  com 
eth ;  and  also  the  night,  i.  e.  a  season  of  prosperity  is 
immediately  before  you,  and  will  be  succeeded  by  a 
season  of  adversity.  The  remaining  words  of  the 
answer  may,  I  think,  be  naturally  paraphrased  in  the 
following  manner.  *  If  ye  are  really  desirous  to  know 
your  destiny,  and  to  learn  the  things  which  belong  to 
your  peace,  come,  and  inquire  at  the  mouth  of  GOD. 
Return  to  him  by  returning  to  the  religion  from 
which  you  have  departed,  ever  since  the  days  of  your 
first  founder.  Come  again ;  and  renew  your  allegi 
ance  to  GOD/ 

Such,  I  apprehend,  is  the  whole  meaning  of  this 
very  concise,  very  figurative,  and  therefore  very  ob 
scure,  passage  of  Scripture. 

A  religious  assembly,  gathered  in  this  land  at  the 
present  moment,  can  hardly  be  supposed  to  feel  a 
spirit  of  indifference  with  respect  to  the  existing  state 
of  the  world,  and  particularly  of  their  own  country. 
At  no  time,  since  the  deluge,  has  the  situation  of  the 
human  race  been  so  extraordinary ;  the  world  so 
shaken  ;  or  its  changes  so  numerous,  sudden,  exten 
sive,  and  ominous.  He,  who  is  indifferent  to  these 
things,  must  be  supposed  to  have  neither  heart,  nor 
understanding,  nor  eyes,  nor  ears.  In  addition  to  all 
the  other  solemn  and  ill-boding  events  of  the  present 


period,  to  use  the  language  of  our  chief  magistrate, 
*  the  righteous  Providence  of  GOD  has  permitted  the 
nation  to  which  we  belong  to  be  engaged  in  an  of 
fensive  war,  the  multiplied  evils  of  which  must  be 
felt  by  all,  but  its  end  cannot  be  discovered  by  human 
agency.'  Our  own  cause,  as  well  as  that  of  the  rest 
of  mankind,  is  now  in  agitation.  Even  if  we  have 
been  able  to  behold  with  indifference  the  general  con 
vulsion  of  the  world,  and  to  see  nation  after  nation 
blotted  out  from  under  heaven,  it  can  scarcely  be 
credible,  that  the  most  stupid  among  us  can  fail  of 
being  serious,  solemn,  and  solicitous,  when  our  own 
case  is  under  trial,  and  when  our  allotments  are  now, 
perhaps,  to  be  finally  settled.  I  well  know,  that  there 
are  thoughtless,  giddy,  empty  minds,  who  on  the  one 
hand  consider  this  event  as  a  victory,  and  on  the  other 
as  a  defeat,  of  their  own  party;  and  extend  their 
views  no  further.  I  also  know,  that  there  are  men  of 
passion  and  violence,  who  feel  satisfied  with  carrying, 
or  mortified  with  failing  to  carry,  a  point ;  that  their 
views,  and  their  horizon,  terminate  here;  and  that 
even  their  wishes  extend  no  further  than  to  the  gratifi 
cation  of  their  feelings.  To  persons  of  this  descrip 
tion  it  is  in  vain  to  urge  consequences;  although  con 
sequences,  in  almost  all  cases,  involve  whatever  is 
important  in  each  case;  while  the  objects  at  which 
they  aim  have  in  themselves  no  importance  at  all. 
A  sober  man,  especially  when  possessing  an  en 
lightened  mind,  will  expand  his  thoughts  beyond  the 
present  moment,  and  the  passing  event;  and  will 
look  forward,  in  every  solemn  situation,  with  intense 
anxiety,  to  discern,  as  far  as  he  may,  the  effects  of 
those  transactions,  in  which  he  is  now  interested;  and 
will  regularly  perceive,  that  that  which  is  to  come, 


frequently  gives  the  deepest  colouring  to  that  which 
is  present ;  and,  whether  desirable  or  undesirable,  al 
ways  enhances  its  import  to  mankind.  Men  of  the 
former  description,  feel  as  if  they  had  gained  every 
thing,  when  they  have  compassed  the  object  of  their 
present  wishes  ;  and  are  either  indifferent  concerning 
what  is  to  come,  or  take  it  for  granted,  that,  when  it 
comes,  it  will  adapt  itself  to  their  inclinations.  Men 
of  the  latter  description,  consider  that  which  is  done, 
if  consistent  with  the  revealed  will  of  GOD,  as  desir 
able,  only  when  the  events  which  it  draws  in  its 
train  are  also  desirable.  The  leading  members  of 
the  ruling  party  in  Great  Britain,  immediately  be 
fore  the  American  revolution,  hugged  themselves  on 
their  success  in  being  able  to  force  through  the  Par 
liament  their  favourite  measures  for  humbling  the  Co 
lonies.  Chatham,  with  an  illumined  eye  foresaw, 
and  with  a  prophetic  voice  declared,  the  disastrous 
consequences,  which  have  since  followed  these  darling 
measures. 

The  period  in  which  we  live,  is,  in  my  own  belief, 
marked  out  in  prophecy  as  a  part  of  that  which  is  in 
cluded  within  the  effusion  of  the  seven  vials.  The 
fifth  of  these  I  consider  as  unquestionably  poured 
out  at  the  Reformation.  According  to  this  scheme, 
we  are  now  under  the  sixth,  or  the  seventh.  As  seve 
ral  men  of  reputation,  who  have  lately  published 
treatises  on  the  prophecies  of  Daniel  and  John,  have 
espoused  opinions  widely  different  from  this ;  my 
reasons  for  holding  it  may  fairly  be  demanded.  I 
will,  therefore,  state  them  in  a  summary  manner. 

The  fifth  vial  is  exhibited  to  us  in  the  following 
terms.  "  And  the  fifth  angel  poured  out  Jiw  vial  upon 
the  seat  of  the  beast;  and  his  kingdom  was  fall  of 


(     9     ) 

darkness  ;  and  they  gnawed  their  tongues  for  pain,  and 
blasphemed  the  GOD  of  Heaven,  because  of  their 
pains  and  their  sores,  and  repented  not  of  their  deeds" 
That  the  Reformation  was  an  event,  perfectly  an 
swering  to  this  prophecy,  will,  I  suppose,  not  be 
questioned ;  as  without  violence  it  plainly  cannot. — 
The  seat  of  the  beast  is  literally  his  throne,  and  sym 
bolically  his  power.  Every  one  knows,  that  this 
great  providential  dispensation  was  directed  immedi 
ately  against  the  power  of  the  Romish  hierarchy. — 
The  Pontiff,  his  court,  his  ordinary  and  extraordinary 
agents,  his  clergy  universally,  the  secular  princes, 
and  the  immense  body  of  people  under  his  control, 
were  all  agitated  by  a  general  convulsion.  A  large 
part  of  the  dominions,  over  which  he  held  a  spiritual 
sceptre,  revolted  ;  and,  notwithstanding  the  immense 
efforts,  made  by  the  Emperor  of  Germany,  and  his 
coadjutors,  for  the  destruction  of  the  Protestant  cause, 
were  finally  rescued  from  their  thraldom,  and  estab 
lished  in  the  full  possession  of  religious  liberty. 
The  kingdom  of  the  Beast  was,  at  this  time,  full  of 
darkness.  The  hierarchy  had  always  been  distin 
guished  for  the  attribute,  which  we  style  cunning ; 
and,  it  must  be  confessed,  exercised  it  in  a  degree,  to 
which  there  has  been  no  parallel.  But  at  this  time 
their  councils  were  weak  and  contemptible :  weak, 
as  they  were  wavering,  and  contradictory ;  contempt 
ible,  as  they  displayed  that  mixture  of  fear  and  false 
hood,  which  forms  the  lowest  trait  of  despicableness 
in  the  human  character.  His  kingdom,  also,  was  full 
of  darkness  in  another  sense.  It  was  filled  with  sore 
mortification.  The  hierarchy,  in  all  its  branches, 
saw  its  power  greatly,  and  finally,  lessened ;  not  a 
small  part  of  its  wealth  irrecoverably  diverted  into 

2 


other  channels ;  and  a  body  of  men  raised  up  in  the 
heart  of  Christendom,  whose  number,  weight,  and 
talents,  were  formidable  to  all  its  interests,  and  threat 
ened  even  its  existence.  That  these  men  blasphemed 
the  GOD  of  Heaven  because  of  their  pains  and  their 
sores  ;  i.  e.  because  of  their  extreme  mortifications ; 
we  cannot  doubt :  and  we  know,  that  they  repented 
not  of  their  deeds.  In  the  early  part  of  his  career, 
Luther  would  have  been  satisfied  with  a  Reformation, 
in  those  thing's  merely,  which  were  gross  and  mon 
strous  :  such  was  his  reverence  for  the  system  at  large. 
But  they  had  so  often  rolled  these,  as  sweet  morsels, 
under  their  tongues,  that  they  could  not  consent  to 
give  them  up.  The  most  heretical  doctrine,  ever 
preached  by  any  Reformer,  in  the  view  of  the  Ro 
mish  church,  was  the  obligation  to  receive  truth  :  the 
most  heretical  practice,  ever  adopted,  was  the  renun 
ciation  of  sin. 

The  account  of  the  sixth  vial  is  given  in  these 
terms.  "  And  the  sixth  angel  poured  out  his  vial 
"  upon  the  great  river  Euphrates;  and  the  water 
"  thereof  was  dried  up,  that  the  way  of  the  kings  of 
"  the  East  might  be  prepared.  And  I  saw  three  un- 
"  clean  spirits,  like  frogs,  come  out  of  the  mouth  of 
"  the  dragon,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  beast,  and 
"  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  false  prophet.  For  they 
"  are  the  spirits  of  devils,  working  miracles,  which 
"  go  forth  unto  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  of  the 
"  whole  world,  to  gather  them  to  the  battle  of  that 
"  great  day  of  GOD  Almighty.  Behold,  I  come  as  a 
"  thief.  Blessed  is  he  that  watcheth,  and  keepeth  his 
"  garments,  lest  he  walk  naked,  and  they  see  his 
"  shame.  And  he  gathered  them  together  into  a 
"  place,  cailed  in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  Armageddon/' 


This  angel,  we  are  told,  poured  out  his  vial  upon 
the  great  river  Euphrates  ;  and  the  water  thereof  was 
dried  up,  that  the  way  of  the  kings  of  the  East  might 
be  prepared.  The  Euphrates,  in  the  literal  sense,  was 
the  source  of  the  wealth,  strength,  and  safety,  of  the 
literal  Babylon.  It  ran  round  the  walls,  and  through 
the  centre,  of  that  city;  and  by  Cyrus  and  Cyaxares,  the 
literal  kings  of  the  East  who  destroyed  Babylon,  was 
dried  up  in  these  parts  of  its  channel,  by  being  turned 
into  a  lake  higher  up  the  country.  The  symbolical  Ba 
bylon,  or  the  Babylon  of  the  Apocalypse,  is  the  Ro 
mish  spiritual  Empire.  The  symbolical  Euphrates9 
here  mentioned,  is  a  source  of  wealth,  strength,  and 
safety,  to  that  empire.  To  dry  up  this  Euphrates,  is 
to  diminish,  or  destroy,  that  source  of  wealth,  strength, 
and  safety.  The  symbolical  kings  of  the  East,  are 
those,  whoever  they  may  be,  who  shall  destroy  this 
spiritual  Babylon.  Several  commentators  have  sup 
posed  this  language  to  denote  certain  princes,  who 
are  to  come  from  the  East :  making  the  phrase  literal. 
This  zigzag  course  between  literal  and  symbolical 
language  has,  as  it  appears  to  me,  had  no  other  influ 
ence,  than  merely  to  perplex  prophecy,  and  to  render 
obscure  what  was  otherwise  plain.  The  kings  of  the 
East  mean,  here,  nothing  but  the  destroyers  of  the  spi 
ritual  Babylon.  Had  the  names,  Cyrus  and  Cyaxares, 
or  Cyrus  and  Darius,  been  set  down,  instead  of  the 
kings  of  the  East,  as  they  might  have  been  with  strict 
propriety,  because  literally  these  are  the  very  persons 
intended ;  then  we  might  with  as  strict  propriety  have 
expected  Cyrus  and  Darius  to  be  raised  from  the 
dead,  in  order  to  destroy  the  spiritual  Babylon,  as  we 
may  now  expect  kings,  or  any  other  persons,  to  come 


(     12     ) 

from  the  East  for  this  purpose.     When  this  source,  or 
these  sources,  of  the  wealth,  strength,  and  safety,  were 
dried  up,  or  perhaps  while  they   were  drying  up ;  in 
other  words,  when  sufficient  preparation   was  made ; 
the  prophet  saw  three  unclean  spirits,  of  an  extraordi 
nary  character,  appear,  and  act,  as  important  agents 
in  this  great  work  of  providence.     These  spirits  had 
the  following  remarkable  characteristics.    They  came 
out  of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon  ;  that  is,  the  secular 
persecuting  power  of  this  spiritual  empire ;  and  out 
of  the  mouth  of  the  beast,   or  ecclesiastical  persecut 
ing  power  of  the  same  empire  ;  and  out  of  the  mouth 
of  the  false  prophet,   a  primary  agent  of  this  latter 
power  ;  exercising  all  the  power  of  the  first  beast  be 
fore  him,  and  causing  the  earth,  (the  dominions  of 
the    Roman  empire,)  and  them,  who    dwell  therein, 
to  worship  the  first  beast,  whose  deadly  wound  was 
healed.     This  prophet  might  with  ease,  and  almost 
with  absolute  certainty,  be  shown  to  be  the  body  of 
monks,  or  regular  clergy,  of  the  Romish  church.     But 
the  time  will  not  allow  me  to  expatiate  on  this  part  of 
the  subject.      They  were  the  spirits  of  demons  ;  malig 
nant,  subtle ;  hostile  to  human  happiness,  and  human 
virtue;  and   enemies  to  Goo   and  the   Lamb.      In 
other  words,  they  were  bitter  and  violent  enemies  to 
Christianity.     They    were    like  frogs :    base,   grovel 
ling  ;  loquacious  ;  intrusive  ;  clamorous :  to  be  found 
in   every  place  ;  and  pertinacious  in  their  modes  of 
action.    They  wrought  miracles ;  or  did  things  which 
were  wonderful  and  astonishing.     The  great  objects 
of  these  spirits  is  to  deceive  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and 
of  the  whole  world.      The  end  for  which  they  are 
permitted  to  do  this,  is  that  the  kings  of  the  earth, 
i.  e.  the  powers  and  potentates  of  the  Roman  empire, 


(     13     ) 

and  many  others,  together  with  them,  may  be  assem 
bled  to  the  battle  of  the  great  day  of  GOD  Almighty. 
The  number  three  is  a  definite  for  an  indefinite  num 
ber  ;  and  is  probably  used  because  these  unclean  spi 
rits  were  derived  from  three  sources  ;  the  three  great 
powers  of  the  Romish  empire. 

The  amount,  then,  of  this  part  of  the  prophecy,  sum 
marily  expressed,  is  the  following  :  *  that  while  provi 
dence  shall  be  employed  in  reducing  the  wealth,  strength, 
and  safety,  of  the  Romish  empire,  a  collection  of  men, 
of  demon-like  character,  polluted  and  debased,  clamo 
rous  and  intrusive,  impudent  and  obstinate,  and  posses 
sing  a  Jiend-li  e  hostility  to  the  Christian  religion, 
will  spring  up  in  the  heart  of  its  dominions  ;  and  par 
ticular  ly  among  the  princes  and  nobles  ;  the  secular  and 
regular  ecclesiastics  ;  mho  will  combine  together  in  the 
great  business  of  deceiving  the  potentates  of  the  earth, 
or  JikOman  Empire  ;  and  others,  also,  in  various  parts 
oj  the  world  ;  that  these  potentates  may  be  assembled  in 
a  vast  war,  in  which  the  vengeance  of  GOD  will  be 
wonderfully  executed  upon  the  eminently  wicked  inhab 
itants  of  the  countries,  included  within  its  limits  ;  call 
ed,  because  it  is  a  day  of  such  retribution,  "  the  battle  of 
that  great  day  of  GOD  Almighty.""  To  this  account  is 
subjoined,  "  And  he  gathered  them  into  a  place,  called 
in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  Armageddon  ;  or  the  mountain  of 
Megiddo;  or  the  mountain  of  the  Gospel*.  The 
mountain  of  Megiddo,  very  naturally  denotes  the  moun 
tain  of  sorrow  or  mmirning  :  because  Megiddo  was  the 
place,  where  Josiah  was  slain;  of  whom  it  is  said, 
"  And  like  unto  him  there  was  no  king  before  him,  who 
turned  to  the  Lord  with  all  his  heart,  and  with  all  his 
$oul,  and  with  ail  his  might,  according  to  all  the  law  of 

*  See  Calmot,  Cruden,  &c. 


(     14     ) 

Moses ;  neither  after  him  arose  there  any  like  him." 
After  his  death  it  is  said,  "  All  Judah  and  Jerusalem 
wept  for  Josiah  ;  and  Jeremiah  lamented  for  Josiah  ; 
and  all  the  singing  men  and  singing  women  spake  of  Jo 
siah  in  their  lamentations,  to  tltis  day  ;  and  made  them 
an  ordinance  in  Israel :  and  behold  they  are  written  of 
in  the  Lamentations"  This  mourning,  so  extensive,, 
so  deep,  so  long,  and  so  regularly  continued,  furnishes 
a  most  expressive  image  of  the  intense  and  unlimited 
sorrows,  which  will  flow  from  the  war  in  question, 
As  denoting  the  mountain  of  the  Gospel,  Armageddon 
may  be  considered  as  pointing  out  the  place  where  this 
war  wrill  be  carried  on ;  viz.  the  countries,  in  which  the 
Gospel  has  been  preached;  or,  in  other  words,  what  is 
commonly  called  Christendom.  Probably  it  was  in 
tended  to  have  this  douLle  reference,  and  to  express- 
both  the  place  and  the  circumstances  of  this  extraor 
dinary  conflict.  Our  Saviour  adds  in  a  parenthesis, 
"  Behold,  I  come  as  a  thief;  blessed  is  he  that  watcheth> 
and  keepeth  Ms  garments,  lest  he  walk  naked,  and  they 
see  his  shame"  The  declaration  at  the  beginning  of 
this  verse  is  a  solemn  annunciation  of  the  Redeemer 
to  his  followers,  that,  when  these  preparations  are 
made  for  the  final  destruction  of  the  spiritual  Babylon, 
he  will  come  suddenly,  and  unexpectedly  ;  as  a  thief 
conies  in  the  night;  to  destroy  this  grand  human  ene 
my  of  his  Church.  As  the  times  will  be  times  of 
terrible  convulsion  ;  he  affectionately  warns  his  sincere 
disciples  to  take  the  most  cautious  heed,  to  watch  over 
themselves,  that  they  may  not  be  exposed  to  the  cen 
sures  of  malignant  men  here,  nor  furnish  ground  for 
regret,  either  in  this  world  or  that  to  come. 

When  all  this  shall  have  been  done,  the  seventh 
'vial  will  be  poured  out ;  of  which  we  have  the  ioilow- 
ing  account. 


(     15     ) 

"  And  the  seventh  angel  poured  out  his  vial  into  the 
*<  air  ;  and  there  came  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple 
"  of  heaven,  from  the  throne,  saying1,  It  is  done.  And 
"  there  were  voices,  and  thunders,  and  lightnings ; 
46  and  there  was  a  great  earthquake,  such  as  was  not 
<<  since  men  were  upon  the  earth,  so  mighty  an  earth- 
"  quake,  and  so  great.  And  the  great  city  was  di- 
"  vided  into  three  parts  ;  and  the  cities  of  the  nations 
"  fell:  and  gieat  Babylon  came  in  remembrance  be- 
"  fore  GOD,  to  give  unto  her  the  cup  of  the  wine  of 
46  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath.  And  every  island  fled 
"  away,  and  the  mountains  were  not  found.  And. 
"  there  fell  upon  men  a  great  hail  out  of  heaven ;  every 
"  stone  about  the  weight  of  a  talent :  and  men  blas- 
"  phemed  GOD  because  of  the  plague  of  the  hail  ;  for 
"  the  plague  thereof  was  exceeding  great." 

Of  this  prophecy  there  are  four  parts.  The  great 
voice  out  of  tike  temple  of  heaven,  saying,  "  It  is  done  ;" 
L  e.  the  kingdom  of  Babylon,  or  the  spiritual  Romish 
empire,  is  terminated ;  or,  perhaps  more  appropriately, 
the  work  of  destroying  this  empire  is  finished.  The 
second  is,  the  general  convulsion  ofllie  world,  attendant 
upon  this  mighty  event  represented  by  the  voices,  the 
thunders,  the  lightnings,  the  earthquake,  the  falling 
of  the  cities  of  the  nations,  the  fleeing  away  of  the  isl 
ands,  the  vanishing  of  the  mountains,  and  the  plague  of 
hail.  The  third  is,  the  effect  of  these  convulsions  upon 
Babylon  itself.  The  great  city  was  divided  into  three 
parts :  and  great  Babylon  came  in  remembrance  before 
GOD  to  give  unto  her  the  cup  of  the  wine  of  the  fierce 
ness  of  his  wrath.  The  fourth  is,  the  effect  of  these 
judgments  upon  sinful  men  :  And  they  blasphemed 
GOD  because  of  the  plague  of  the  hail :  for  the  plague 
thereof  was  exceeding  great. 


(     16     ) 

The  declaration,  "  It  is  done"  intends,  I  apprehend, 
either  that  this  is  the  last  of  the  judgments  of  GOB 
upon  the  Romish  empire ;  or  that  the  work  of  des 
truction  is,  (to  use  the  language  of  Doddridge,)  just 
now  completing.  In  scriptural  language,  that  is  often 
said  to  have  taken  place,  which  is  yet  in  progress ; 
and  even  that  which  is  still  future. 

The  great  convulsion,  here  described,  is  exhibited 
as  affecting  the  earth,  and  the  atmosphere.  This  de 
scription,  like  other  parts  of  the  Apocalypse,  is  symbo 
lical  ;  and  denotes  a  convulsion  among  the  empires  of 
this  world,  resembling  in  its  violence  the  terrible  agi 
tation  of  the  elements,  which  is  here  announced. — 
"  The  nations"  are  those,  who  experience  the  shaking 
of  the  earthquake.  The  convulsion  is  of  kingdoms, 
princes,  nobles,  and  the  people,  over  whom  they  preside  ; 
such  an  one  as  will  agitate  and  distress  the  world 
of  men  in  the  same  manner,  as  if  all  the  elements 
were  in  the  confusion  mentioned  in  the  prophecy. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  explain  the  third  of  these 
parts  of  The  CITY  Rome.  Whether  Rome  may  be 
thus  affected,  or  not ;  or  whether  it  be  peculiarly  and 
immediately  affected  at  all,  or  not ;  the  prophecy  may 
be  fulfilled  with  equal  exactness.  In  the  following 
chapter,  where  this  subject  is  resumed  in  a  different 
form,  the  angel  interpreter  informs  us,  that  the  woman, 
who  sat  upon  the  scarlet  coloured  beast,  and  who  had 
upon  her  forehead  her  name  written, "  MYSTERY,  BABY 
LON  THE  GREAT,  the  mother  of  harlots,  and  abo 
minations  of  the  earth;1'  was  the  great  city,  which 
at  that  time  reigned  over  the  kings  of  the  earth.  Un 
questionably,  this  city  was  Rome :  but  it  was  not,  as 
Rome,  I  apprehend;  not  as  a  city,  having  in  itself, 


( in  the  political  system,  power,  agency,  and  influence, 
of  its  inhabitants;)  this  abominable  control  over 
mankind ;  that  this  name  is  given  to  it.  It  was  be 
cause  Rome  was  the  seat  of  the  Hierarchy  ;  the  cen 
tre  of  its  power ;  the  fountain  of  its  corruptions  ;  the 
spot,  whence  proceeded  the  delusions,  impieties,  and 
iniquities,  which  depraved  the  whole  Christian  world. 
If  then,  the  city,  in  this  seme,  is  divided  and  distract 
ed,  the  prediction  is  answered.  The  parts  into  which 
it  is  exhibited,  as  thus  divided,  are  here  said  to  be 
three :  a  definite  number^  for  an  indefinite  :  the  real 
meaning  being  expressed  by  the  English  word  several. 

The  fourth  part  needs  no  comment. 

Having  finished  the  remarks  which  I  thought  it  ne 
cessary  to  make  upon  these  passages  of  Scripture  by 
way  of  explanation,  I  will  now  proceed  to  give  the 
reasons,  why  I  suppose  the  present  period  falls  under 
the  two  last  of  these  vials :  and  these  are  all  included 
under  the  general  one,  that  the  facts,  which  have  ta 
ken  place  during  the  last  120  years,  parti cularly  during 
the  last  80,  and  still  more  especially  during  the  last 
60,  have  been  an  exact,  and  wonderful,  accomplishment 
of  tlie  predictions,  which  they  contain.  Many  of 
these  I  have  stated,  particularly,  on  another  occasion. 
At  these  I  shall  only  glance;  and  then  proceed  to 
others,  which  were  not  then  specified. 

The  first  public  appearance  of  Deism  was  about 
the  middle  of  the  16th  century  :  when  several  persons 
in  Italy,  and  France,  assumed  the  title  of  Deists,  as  an 
express  distinction  of  themselves  from  Christians. 
They  are  mentioned  by  the  celebrated  Viret,  an  emi 
nent  Reformer,  as  treating  the  Scriptures  as  a  collec 
tion  of  fables,  and  laughing  at  all  religion.  Several 
men  of  this  class  appeared  in  England,  also,  about 

3 


(     18     ) 

the  latter  part  of  the  same  century.  But  neither  in 
Grectt-Bril</m,noY  on  the  continent,  did  they  make  any 
considerable  impression  upon  public  opinion.  In  the 
year  1624,  Lord  Herbert  of  Cherbury,  a  man  of 
considerable  talents,  and  learning1,  published  his  book 
concerning  Truth,  at  Paris.  It  was  afterwards  pub 
lished  in  England,  together  with  two  others.  A 
fourth  was  added  to  them  after  his  death.  In  these 
he  attempted  to  reduce  Deism  to  a  system.  From 
this  time,  writers  of  this  class  multiplied,  both  in 
Great- ftritain  and  on  the  contiuent  of  Europe.  In. 
such  a  world  as  this,  it  was  impossible  that  they 
should  not  find  adherents. 

About  the  year  1728,  the  great  sera  of  Infidelity, 
Voltaire  formed  a  set  design  to  destroy  the  Christian 
religion.  For  this  purpose  he  engaged,  at  several 
succeeding  periods,  a  number  of  men,  distinguished 
for  power,  talents,  reputation,  and  influence ;  all 
deadly  enemies  to  the  Gospel ;  Atheists ;  men  of 
profligate  principles,  and  profligate  lives.  This  de 
sign  he  pursued  with  unabated  zeal  50  years;  and 
was  seconded  by  his  associates  with  an  ardour,  and 
industry,  scarcely  inferior  to  his  own.  In  conse 
quence  of  their  united  labours,  and  of  the  labours  of 
others,  from  time  to  time  combined  with  them,  they 
ultimately  spread  the  design  throughout  a  great  part 
of  Europe ;  and  embarked  in  it  individuals,  at  little 
distances,  over  almost  the  whole  of  that  continent. — 
Their  adherents  inserted  themselves  into  every  place, 
office,  and  employment,  in  which  their  agency  might 
become  efficacious,  and  which  furnished  an  opportuni 
ty  of  spreading  their  corruptions.  They  were  found 
in  every  literary  institution  from  the  Abecedarian 
school  to  the  Academy  of  sciences  \  and  in  every  civil 


(     19     ) 

office,  from  that  of  the  bailiff  to  that  of  the  Monarch, 
They  swarmed  in  the  palace ;  they  haunted  the 
church.  Wherever  mischief  could  be  done,  they 
were  found  :  and,  wherever  they  were  found,  mis 
chief  was  extensively  done.  Of  books  they  control 
led  the  publication,  the  sale,  and  the  character.  An 
immense  number  they  formed ;  an  immense  number 
they  forged  ;  prefixed  to  them  the  names  of  reputable 
writers,  and  sent  them  into  the  world,  to  be  sold  for  a 
song  ;  and,  when  that  could  not  be  done,  to  be  given 
away.  Within  a  period,  shorter  than  couid  have 
been  imagined,  they  possessed  themselves,  to  a  great 
extent,  of  a  control,  nearly  absolute,  of  the  literary, 
religious,  and  political  state  of  Europe. 

With  these  advantages  in  their  hands,  it  will  easily 
be  believed,  that  they  left  no  instrument  unemployed, 
and  no  measure  untried,  to  accomplish  their  own  ma 
lignant  purposes.  With  a  diligence,  courage,  constan- 
Cj,  activity,  and  perseverance,  which  m.gLt  rival  the 
efforts  of  demons  themselves,  they  penetrated  into  eve 
ry  corner  of  human  society.  Scarcely  a  man,  woman, 
or  child,  was  left  unassailed,  wherev  er  there  was  a  sin 
gle  hope,  that  the  attack  might  be  successful.  Books 
were  written,  and  published,  in  innumerable  multi 
tudes,  in  which  infidelity  was  brought  down  to  the 
level  of  peasants,  and  even  of  children ;  and  poured 
with  immense  assiduity  into  the  cottage,  and  the  school. 
Others  of  a  superior  kind,  crept  into  the  shop,  and 
the  farm-house;  and  others  of  a  still  higher  class, 
found  their  way  to  the  drawing  room,  the  university, 
and  the  palace.  The  business  of  all  men,  who  were 
of  any  importance,  and  the  education  of  the  children 
of  all  such  men,  was,  as  far  as  possible,  engrossed,  or 
at  least  influenced,  by  these  banditti  of  the  moral 


(     20     ) 

world;  mid  the  hearts  of  those,  who  had  no  impor 
tance,  but  in  their  numbers,  and  physical  strength. 
A  sensual,  profligate  nobility,  and  princes,  if  possible 
still  more  sensual  and  profligate,  easily  yielded  them 
selves,  and  their  children,  into  the  hands  of  these  min 
ions  of  corruption.  Too  ignorant,  too  enervated,  or 
too  indolent,  to  understand,  or  even  to  inquire  that 
they  might  understand,  the  tendency  of  all  these  ef 
forts,  they  marched  quietly  on  to  the  gulf  of  ruin, 
which  was  already  opened  to  receive  them.  With 
these  was  combined  a  priesthood,  which,  in  all  its  dig 
nified  ranks,  was  still  more  putrid ;  and  which  eager 
ly  yielded  up  the  surplice  and  the  lawn,  the  desk  and 
the  altar,  to  destroy  that  Bible,  which  they  had  vow 
ed  to  defend,  as  well  as  to  preach ;  and  to  renew 
the  crucifixion  of  that  Redeemer,  whom  they  had 
sworn  to  worship.  By  these  agents,  and  these  efforts, 
the  plague  wras  spread  with  a  rapidity,  and  to  an  ex 
tent,  which  astonished  heaven  and  earth:  and  life 
went  out,  not  in  solitary  cases,  but  by  an  universal  ex 
tinction. 

While  these  measures  were  thus  going  on  with  a 
success  scarcely  interrupted,  Dr.  Adam  \\  eishaupt^ 
professor  of  the  Canon  Law  in  the  University  of  /w- 
(joldstadt,  a  city  of  Bavaria,  a  man  of  no  contempti 
ble  talents,  but  of  immense  turpitude,  and  a  Jesuit,  esta^ 
blished  the  society  of  Illuminees.  Into  this  establish 
ment  he  brought  all  the  systematized  iniquity  of  his 
brotherhood  ;  distinguished  beyond  every  other  class, 
of  men  for  cunning,  mischief,  an  absolute  desti 
tution  of  conscience,  an  absolute  disregard  of  all  the 
interests  of  man,  and  a  torpid  insensibility  to  moral  ob 
ligation.  No  fraternity,  for  so  long  a  time,  or  to  so 
great  an  extent,  united  within  its  pale  such  a  mass  of 


(     21     ) 

talents ;  or  employed  in  its  service  such  a  succession 
of  vigorous  efforts.  The  serpentine  system  of  this  or 
der  Weishaupt  perfectly  understood.  The  great  de 
sign  of  the  Jesuits had  always  been  to  engross  the  pow 
er  and  influence  of  Europe,  and  to  regulate  all  its  im 
portant  affairs.  The  system  of  measures,  which  they 
had  adopted  for  this  end,  was  superior  to  every  prece 
ding  scheme  of  human  policy.  To  this  design  Weish 
aupt,  who  was  more  absolutely  an  Atheist  than  Vol 
taire,  and  as  cordially  wished  for  the  ruin  of  Christi 
anity,  superadded  a  general  intention  of  destroying  the 
moral  character  of  man.  The  system  of  policy,  adopt 
ed  by  the  Jesuits,  was,  therefore,  exactly  fitted  to  his 
purpose :  for  the  design,  with  this  superaddition,  was 
exactly  the  same. 

With  these  advantageous  preparations,  he  boldly  un 
dertook  this  work  of  destruction ;  and  laid  the  axe  at 
the  root  of  all  moral  principle,  and  the  sense  of  all 
moral  obligation,  by  establishing  a  few  fundamental 
doctrines,  which  were  amply  sufficient  for  this  pur 
pose.  These  were,  that  GOD  is  nothing  ;  that  Govern 
ment  is  a  curse,  and  authority  an  usurpation;  that  ci 
vil  society  is  t/ie  only  aposlacy  of  man  ;  that  the  posses 
sion  of  property  is  robbery  ;  that  chastity  and  natural 
affection,  are  mere  prejudices ',  and  that  adultery,  as 
sassination,  poisoning,  and  other  crimes  of  a  similar 
nature,  are  lawful,  and  even  virtuous.  A  large  branch 
of  the  Masonic  Societies  in  Germany  and  France  had 
already  adopted  the  same  objects,  as  the  great  and  con 
trolling  ones  of  all  their  personal  and  united  labours. 
Here  secrecy  furnished  the  most  advantageous  oppor 
tunities  for  the  formation  of  every  design,  and  the  most 
advantageous  contrivance  for  its  successful  execution. 
Here  the  spirit  of  hostility  against  religion  and  go 
vernment  was  kindled,  and  blown  up  into  a  flame. 


Here,  in  a  word,  all  that  vice  could  wish,  and  profli 
gacy  attempt,  was  proposed,  matured,  and  set  forward 
for  execution.  Under  these  circumstances,  were 
founded  the  societies  of  Illuminism.  They  spread,  of 
course,  with  a  rapidity,  which  nothing  but  fact  could 
have  induced  any  sober  mind  to  believe.  Before  the 
year  1786,  they  were  established  in  great  numbers 
throughout  Germany,  in  Sweden,  Russia,  Poland, 
Austria,  Holland,  France,  Switzerland,  Italy,  JLny- 
land,  Scotland,  and  even  in  America.  In  all  these  was 
taught  the  grand  and  sweeping  principle  of  corrup 
tion,  that  t lie  End  sanctions  the  Means ;  a  principle 
which,  if  every  where  adopted,  would  overturn  the 
universe. 

The  design  of  the  founder  and  his  coadjutors,  was 
nothing  less  than  to  engross  the  empire  ot  the  world, 
and  to  place  mankind  beneath  the  feet  of  himself,  and 
his  successors. 

Voltaire  died  in  the  year  following  the  establish 
ment  of  lliuminism.  His  disciples  with  one  heart, 
and  one  voice,  united  in  its  interests ;  and,  finding*  a 
more  absolute  system  of  corruption  than  themsehes 
had  been  able  to  form,  entered  eager'y  into  all  its 
plans  and  purposes.  Thenceforward,  therefore,  all 
the  legions  of  Infidelity  are  to  be  considered  as  em 
barked  in  a  single  bottom ;  and  as  cruisuig  together 
against  order,  peace,  and  virtue,  on  a  voyage  of  ra 
pine  and  blood. 

The  French  revolution  burst  upon  mankind  at  this 
moment.  Here  was  opened  an  ample  field  for  the 
labours  of  these  abandoned  men  in  the  work  of  pol 
lution  and  death.  There  is  no  small  reason  to  be 
lieve,  that  every  individual  iliuminee,  and  almost,  if 
not  quite,  every  infidel,  on  the  continent  of  Jburope, 
lent  his  labours,  when  he  could ;  and  his  wishes,  whea 


(     23     ) 

he  could  not ;  for  the  advancement  of  the  sins  and 
the  miseries,  which  attended  this  unexampled  corrup 
tion.  Had  not  GOD  taken  the  wise  in  their  own  craf 
tiness,  and  caused  the  wicked  to  fall  into  the  pit  which 
they  digged,  and  into  the  snares  wh'<ch  their  hands  had 
set ;  it  is  impossible  to  conjecture  the  extent  to  which 
thefy  would  have  carried  their  devastation  of  human 
happiness.  But,  like  the  profligate  rulers  of  Israel, 
those  who  succeeded,  regularly  destroyed  their  pre 
decessors.  The  whole  history  of  their  rise,  adminis 
tration,  and  fall,  is  sufficiently  exhibited  in  the  follow 
ing  verses.  "  In  the  twenty  and  sixth  year  of  Asa, 
"  king  of  Judah,  began  Elah,  the  son  of  Baasha,  to 
"  reign  over  Israel  in  Tirzah,  two  years.  And  his 
"  servant  Zimri,  (captain  of  half  his  chariots,)  con- 
"  spired  against  him,  as  he  was  in  Tirzah,  drinking 
"  himself  drunk  in  the  house  of  Arza,  steward  of  his 
"  house  in  Tirzah.  And  Zimri  went  in,  and  smote 
4*  him,  and  killed  him,  in  the  twenty  and  seventh 
"  year  of  Asa,  king  of  Judah,  and  reigned  in  his 
"  stead.  In  the  twenty  and  seventh  year  of  Asa, 
"  king  of  Judah,  did  Zimri  reign  seven  days  in 
"  Tirzah;  and  the  people  were  encamped  against 
"  Gibbethon,  which  belonged  to  the  Philistines. — 
"  And  the  people  that  were  encamped,  heard  say, 
"  *  Zimri  hath  conspired,  and  hath  also  slain  the  king.* 
"  Wherefore  all  Israel  made  Omri,  the  captain  of 
"  the  host,  king  over  Israel,  that  day,  in  the  camp.— 
"  And  Omri  went  up  from  Gibbethon,  and  all  Is- 
"  rael  with  him,  and  they  besieged  Tirzah.  And  it 
"  came  to  pass,  when  Zimri  saw  that  the  city  was 
"  taken,  that  he  went  into  the  palace  of  the  king's 
"  house,  and  burnt  the  king's  house  over  him  with 
"  tire,  and  died,  for  his  sins,  which  he  sinned  in 
*  doing  evil  iti  the  si<£ht  of  the  Lord,  in  walking  in 


(     24     ) 

"  the  way  of  Jeroboam,  and  in  his  sin  which  he  did 
"  to  make  Israel  to  sin/' 

The  spirit  of  infidelity  has  the  heart  of  a  wolf, 
the  fang's  of  a  tyger,  and  the  talons  of  a  vulture. 
Blood  is  its  proper  nourishment :  and  it  scents  its  prey 
with  the  nerves  of  a  hound,  and  cowers  over  a  field 
of  death  on  the  sooty  pinions  of  a  fiend.  Unlike 
all  other  animals  of  prey,  it  feeds  upon  its  own  kind ; 
and,  when  glutted  with  the  blood  of  others,  turns 
back  upon  those,  who  have  been  its  coadjutors,  and 
who,  if  either  its  disposition,  or  its  measures,  could 
admit  of  friendship,  would  have  been  its  friends. — 
Between  90  and  100  of  those,  who  were  leaders  in 
this  mighty  work  of  destruction,  fell  by  the  hand  of 
violence.  Enemies  to  all  men,  they  were  of  course 
enemies  to  each  other.  Butchers  of  the  human  race, 
they  soon  whetted  the  knife  for  each  other's  throats  : 
and  the  tremendous  Being,  who  rules  the  Universe, 
whose  existence  they  had  denied  in  a  solemn  act  of 
legislation,  whose  perfections  they  had  made  the  butt 
of  public  scorn  and  private  insult,  whose  Son  they 
had  crucified  afresh,  and  whose  Word  they  had  burnt 
by  the  hands  of  the  common  hangman  ;  swept  them 
all  by  the  hand  of  violence  into  an  untimely  grave'. 
The  tale  made  every  ear,  which  heard  it,  tingle,  and 
every  heart  chill  with  horror.  It  was,  in  the  language 
of  Ossian,  "  the  song  of  death"  It  was  like  the  reign 
of  the  plague  in  a  populous  city.  Knell  tolled  upon 
knell ;  hearse  followed  hearse  ;  and  coffin  rumbled  af 
ter  coffin ;  without  a  mourner  to  shed  a  tear  upon  the 
corpse,  or  a  solitary  attendant  to  mark  the  place  of 
the  grave.  From  one  new  moon  to  another,  and  from  one 
sabbath  to  another,  the  world  went  forth  and  looked  after 
the  carcasses  of  the  men,  who  transgressed  against  GOD, 
and  they  were  an  abhorring  unto  all  flesh. 


PART  II. 

A  DISCOURSE, 

«c: 

ISAIAH  xxi.  11,  12. 

TThe  burden  of  DumaL  He  calleth  to  me  out  o/Seir,  Walcl* 
man,  what  of  the  night  ?  Watchman,  what  of  the  night  ? 

The  Watchman  said,  The  morning  cometh  ;  and  also  the  night. 
If  ye  will  inquire,  inquire  ye;  return  ;  come. 

IN  the  former  part  of  this  discourse  I  observed,  that 
the  present  period  is  exhibited  in  prophecy  by  the  two 
last  of  the  seven  vials,  mentioned  in  the  apocalypse. 
This  prophecy,  together  witli  that  contained  in  the  ac 
count  of  the  fifth  vial,  I  recited ;  and  in  a  brief  comment 
endeavoured  to  explain.  I  then  proceeded  to  examine 
a  part  of  the  history  of  Christendom,  which  I  consi 
dered  as  the  proper  fulfilment  of  the  prediction.  I 
will  now  proceed  with  the  detail ;  and  mention  several 
other  facts,  included  in  the  same  history,  and  constitu 
ting  other  parts  of  the  fulfilment  of  the  same  prophe 
cies. 

The  miseries,  brought  upon  the  French  nation  by 
the  Infidels,  who  were  the  agents  in  its  republican  go 
vernment,  soon  became  intolerable.  The  whole  sys 
tem  was  formed  of  a  fieud-iike  oppression  ;  and  the 
empire  was  filled  with  alarm,  and  blood,  and  wo.  The 
period  of  their  domination  became  more  and  more 
dreadful ;  and  a  considerable  part  of  it  was  denomi- 

4 


nated  "  the  reign  of  terror  ;"  the  first  time,  it  is  believ 
ed,  in  which  this  phraseology  came  into  proverbial  use. 
France  became  a  kind  of  suburb  to  the  world  of  per 
dition.  Surrounding-  nations  were  lost  in  amazement, 
vi  hen  they  beheld  the  scene.  It  seemed  a  prelude  to 
the  funeral  of  this  great  world;  a  stall  of  death ;  a  den, 
into  which  the  feet  of  thousands  daily  entered ;  but 
none  were  seen  to  return.  In  this  situation  despair 
compelled  those,  who  still  had  influence,  energy,  and 
contrivance,  to  fly  from  the  ravages  of  the  existing- 
government  to  that  last  political  refuge  from  human 
misery,  a  military  despotism  ;  heretofore  regarded  by 
mankind  as  the  consummation  of  ruin.  Still  it  was  a 
real  refuge  from  the  horrors  of  the  former  system ; 
horrors  which  no  nation  ever  before  suffered,  and 
which  no  imagination  had  ever  anticipated.  The 
scheme  of  oppression  was  now  settled ;  and  the  mise 
ries  to  be  suffered  c^me  on,  like  the  course  of  the  sea 
sons,  in  a  regular,  expected  order.  Taxes  reaching 
every  fruit  of  human  labour,  and  all  the  property, 
which  taxes  can  reach,  wrung  blood  from  every  vein 
of  the  miserable  inhabitants.  A  train  of  spies,  im 
mense  in  their  numbers,  and  stationed  every  where, 
prowled  in  every  road  and  street,  in  every  city  and  so 
litude,  and  haunted  the  church,  the  tire-side,  and  the 
closet ;  carrying  fear,  suspense,  distrust,  and  anguish, 
to  every  heart.  The  young  men  were  yoked  togeth 
er  like  cattle;  and  driven  to  the  camp,  to  waste 
away  with  disease,  toil,  and  suffering ;  or  to  fall,  with 
less  agony,  upon  the  edge  of  the  sword.  The  female 
sex  sunk  gradually  from  the  high  level,  to  which  the 
Gospel  had  raised  them,  towards  the  miserable  degra 
dation,  to  which  they  have  been  depressed  by  Mo 
hammedans  and  savages;  and  lost  all  their  influence, 


(     27     ) 

&nd  probably,  all  their  disposition,  to  check  the  vices, 
refine  the  manners,  and  amend  the  hearts,  of  men. 
The  irreligioa  of  the  preceding-  period  was  varied,  on 
ly  in  its  forms,  and  appearances ;  in  substance  it  was 
the  same.  The  Goddess  of  Reason  was  not  now  wor 
shipped,  as  before,  in  the  form  of  a  polluted  woman. 
The  sacramental  vessels  were  not  now  mounted  upon 
an  ass,  aad  paraded  through  the  streets,  to  insult  him, 
who  died,  that  man  might  live.  The  Bible  was  not 
made  the  fuel  of  a  bon-nre.  The  Sabbath  might  now 
be  observed  without  treason  against  the  government. 
But  the  churches  were  empty.  The  ministers  were 
butts,  and  beggars.  The  Sabbath  was  a  day  of  sport. 
Several  booksellers,  employed  by  the  Commissioners  of 
the  London  Missionary  Society  to  furnish  them  with 
a  Bible,  searched  the  city  of  Paris  three  days,  before 
they  could  find  one.  Religion  was  dead;  and  her  re 
mains  lay  in  the  street  of  the  yreat  city,  which  spiritu 
ally  is  called,  Sodom  and  Egypt.  Tiie  kingdom  be 
came  a  charnel-house  of  Atheism  :  where  the  final 
knell  had  been  toiled  at  the  departure  of  life,  and  hope, 
and  salvation. 

From  the  commencement  of  this  revolution,  the 
miseries,  which  spread  in  so  terrible  a  manner  through 
the  French  kingdom,  extended  themselves  over  all 
the  surrounding  country.  The  property  of  the  prince, 
the  nobles  and  the  clergy,  the  Revolutionary  leaders 
seized  without  remorse,  or  conscience,  as  their  lawful 
prey.  More  than  £  200,000,000  sterling  are  suppos 
ed  to  have  fallen  into  their  hands  by  one  vast  act  of 
confiscation.  This  immense  sum  was,  however,  in 
sufficient  to  satisfy  their  rapacity.  Under  the  names 
of  contributions,  war-taxes,  and  other  claims,  profess 
edly  claims  of  the  nation,  they  gathered  the  riches  of 


(    28     ) 

the  w/tok  people  as  a  nest,  and  as  one  yatheretk  eggs  that 
aie  le/t ;  and  there  was  none,  that  moved  the  wing,  or 
opened  the  mouth,  or  peeped.  With  this  singular  mass 
of  weaith  in  their  possession,  they  raised  armies,  in  dif 
ferent  years  amounting*  to  5,  7,  9,  and  12  hundred 
thousand  men :  the  strongest  and  most  formidable  bo 
dy,  which  was  ever  assembled  upon  this  globe.  This 
incomprehensible  multitude  they  emptied  out  upon 
every  neighbouring  state.  The  lava  did  not  run  in  a 
stream,  as  in  the  eruptions  of  the  natural  world.  Jt 
flowed  down  all  the  sides  of  the  immeasurable  crater 
at  once :  and  like  ah  ocean,  roiled  its  waves  of  fire 
over  the  whole  face  of  the  world,  within  its  reach. 
Nothing  withstood  its  power.  The  life,  liberty,  and 
property,  of  e\7ery  bordering  nation,  was  consumed ; 
and  a  boundless  scene  of  desolation  every  where  mark 
ed  its  course.  The  power,  and  pride,  of  Spain  were 
broken  down.  Italy  was  overrun.  The  king  of  Sar 
dinia  was  driven  from  his  country.  Switzerland, 
Belgium,  Batavia,  Germany,  Prussia,  and  Austria, 
bowed  successively  to  the  French  arms;  and  were  un 
done.  Every  republic  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  At 
lantic  was  blotted  out  from  under  heaven  ;  and  every 
kingdom,  also  which  policy,  or  the  convenience  of  the 
conquerors,  aid  not  compel  them  to  leave  independent. 
It  made  no  difference  whether  the  nation  was  a  friend, 
or  a  foe  \  was  in  alliance  with  ti  .em,  or  at  war.  Whatever 
was  thought  convenient  for  France  was  done ;  and  done 
in  defiance  of  every  law  of  GOD  or  man  ;  of  the  most 
solemn  treaties,  ot  the  most  absolute  promises. 

At  the  very  commencement  of  their  career,  the  le 
gislature  maue  three  great  public  promises ;  for 
which  they  pledged  their  faith  to  the  world.  One 
was,  that  France  would  make  no  conquests.  Another 


(    29     ) 

Was,  that  she  would  make  war  only  upon  tyrants.  — 
The  third  was,  that  she  would  give  liberty  and  equality 
to  all  peopk,  whithersoever  her  armies  came.  With 
the  first  of  these  promises  in  her  mouth,  she  began 
the  work  of  conquest  at  her  entrance  into  the  field  of 
conflict ;  and  has  done  nothing  but  conquer,  or  at 
tempt  to  conquer,  to  the  present  hour.  While  she 
was  resounding  the  second  over  the  face  of  the  whole 
earth,  she  swept  away  with  the  besom  of  destruction 
the  republics  of  Lucca,  Pisa,  and  Venice;  the  thir 
teen  republics  of  Switzerland  ;  the  republics  in  alli 
ance  with  the  Switzers;  that  of  the  Seven  Isles ;  that 
of  St.  Marino  ;  all  the  free  cities  of  Germany  ;  and 
the  republics  of  Genoa,  Geneva,  and  the  Netlierlands. 
One  only  remains  on  the  face  of  the  earth;  and 
tiiat,  merely  because  the  giant  was  unable  to  wade 
through  the  billows  of  the  Atlantic. 

The  work  of  destruction  is  still  going  on  ;  and 
with  no  less  zeal  than  heretofore.  Nor  is  there  any 
n  ason  to  believe,  that  it  will  terminate,  until  the 
means  of  accomplishing  it  shall  fail ;  or  until  man 
kind  cease  to  resist ;  or  until  the  world  is  desolated  ; 
or  until  GOD  shall  consume  in  his  wrath  these  ene 
mies  of  earth  and  heaven. 

Such  is  a  summary  account  of  this  astonishing  se 
ries  of  events;  a  parallel  to  which  cannot  be  found 
in  the  annals  of  time.  I  will  now  proceed  to  exam 
ine  the  great  parts  of  this  tragedy,  for  the  purpose  of 
illustrating  the  principal  point  proposed ;  their  connex 
ion  with  t/iese  remarkable  prophecies.  For  this  pur 
pose  I  observe, 

1.  T/iat  the  infidels,  in  question,  sprang  up  in  thf- 
very  place,  pointed  ont  by  the  prophecy. 


(     30     ) 

They  came  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Dragon  ;  the 
secular  persecuting  power,  combined  w>th  the  Ro 
mish  Hierarchy,  and  were  composed  to  a  great  extent 
of  the  nobles,  the  gentry,  and  the  literati,  ot  the  Ro 
man  Catholic  countries;  particularly  of  the  two  prin 
cipal  ones,  France  and  Germany. 

They  came  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Beast,  or  eccle 
siastical  persecuting  power.  To  a  great  extent  they 
were  composed  of  the  secular  clergy,  which,  with 
the  pontiff  at  their  head,  peculiarly  constituted  the 
Hierarchy.  A  great  multitude  of  these,  particularly 
of  the  higher  orders,  were  embarked  in  this  design ; 
and  were  among  the  most  efficacious  instruments  of 
carrying  it  into  execution.  Few  persons  rendered 
the  system  such  important  service,  as  Briennes,  arch 
bishop  of  rl  houiouse. 

They  came  out  of  the  month  of  the  false  prophet, 
or  the  Beast,  which  had  two  horns,  like  a  JLamb ; 
which  extra sed  all  the  power  of  thejirst  Beast  before 
him.  The  regular  clergy  have,  from  an  early  period, 
possessed,  and  exercised,  the  persecuting  power,  here 
referred  to ;  particularly  that  terrible  branch  of  it, 
n.tmed  the  Inquisition.  The  Jesuits  were,  early,  infi 
dels  in  great  numbers;  and  contributed  not  a  little 
by  their  writings  to  unhinge  the  minds  of  men  With 
respect  to  religious  doctrines,  and  moral  practice.— 
\\eishaupt  completed  what  his  predecessors  had  be 
gun,  and  advanced. 

But  it  is  sufficient  for  my  purpose,  that  they  sprang 
out  of  the  countries,  under  the  control  of  the  Hierar 
chy. 

2nd.   They  were  spirits  of  Demons. 

This  is  not  only  abundantly,  but  wonderfully,  evi 
dent  in  the  diabolical  nature  of  their  great  design  ; 


(     31     ) 

the  destruction  of  Christianity,  and  the  subjugation  of 
mankind.  Equally  evident  was  it  in  the  means, 
which  they  employed  for  the  accomplishment  of  their 
purpose.  These  were  the  publication  of  an  endless 
number  of  falsehoods ;  lying,  without  limits ;  perju 
ry  ;  treachery  \  treason ;  murder ;  robbery  ;  oppres 
sion.  At  the  same  time  they  were  blasphemous,  athe 
istical,  and  more  furiously  hostile  to  GOD  and  reli 
gion,  than  any  other  men  since  the  deluge. 

They  were  like  frogs  ;  endlessly  loquacious  on  this 
subject ;  immeasurably  loathsome  by  their  debase 
ment  of  mind,  by  their  obscenity,  their  lewdness, 
their  abjuration  of  all  moral  principle,  and  the  pecu 
liar  pleasure,  which  they  discovered  at  the  sight,  and 
in  the  perpetration,  of  sin  in  every  form,  and  degree. 
They  were  intrusive  in  a  manner  unexampled. — 
Like  the  frogs,  brought  up  upon  the  land  of  Egypt, 
they  went  up,  and  came  into  the  house  of  the  prince, 
and  into  his  bedchamber,  and  upon  his  bed,  and  into 
the  houses  of  his  servants,  upon  his  people,  into  their 
ovens,  and  into  their  kneading  troughs;  and,  after 
they  had  perished,  the  ill  savour,  which  they  left  be 
hind  them,  was  not  less  offensive  or  overwhelming. 
There  was  not  a  situation,  not  an  office,  not  a  place, 
where  mischief  could  be  done,  but  it  was  occupied 
by  them.  They  were  clamorous.  The  press  groan 
ed  with  their  labours  on  all  subjects,  handled  in  all 
forms,  which  promised  to  be  injurious  to  Christianity. 
From  the  magnificent  Encyclopedic  down  to  the 
farthing  pamphlet,  the  hand-bill,  arid  the  song,  infide 
lity  descended  in  a  regular  progress,  without  blushing 
at  her  degradation,  satisfied  if  she  could  only  oppose 
GOD,  and  destroy  mankind ;  and  rejoicing  in  the 
means  of  mischief,  however  humble,  if  they  were  on- 


(     82     ) 

Iy  efficacious.  At  the  same  time  they  were  equally 
sedulous  with  the  tongue  in  the  legislature,  at  the  levee, 
in  the  drawing  room,  in  the  private  circle  of  friends 
and  neighbours,  and  even  in  the  tavern  club. 

Sdly.  They  have  wrought  Miracles :  that  is,  have 
done  things  <fa  marvellous  nature. 

For  proof  of  this  position  I  refer  to  the  history, 
which  I  have  given ;  and  shall  only  add,  that  the  world 
has  been  in  a  state  of  unceasing  astonishment,  ever 
since  their  designs,  and  their  efforts,  were  fairly  open 
ed  to  the  view  of  mankind. 

4thly.  They  have  gone  forth  to  the.  kings  of  the  earth, 
and  the  whole  world,  to  gather  them  to  the  battle  of  that 
great  day  of  GOD  Almighty. 

The  earth,  in  the  language  of  this  book,  usually  de 
notes  the  Roman  empire.  It  has  been  the  favourite  la 
bour  of  these  men  to  insert  themselves  into  the  cabi 
nets  of  princes,  and  peculiarly  into  those  offices,  which 
were  the  seats  of  business,  the  sources  of  all  the  great 
movements  of  empire,  of  all  great  national  exertions. 
Here,  into  the  very  cabinets,  the  very  households,  of  mo- 
narchs,  they  have  silently  crept ;  and  wound  themselves 
around  their  hearts  with  a  motion  so  lubricous,  so  soft, 
so  insensible,  that  neither  their  snaky  character,  nor 
even  their  approach,  was  perceived.  Here  they  have 
charmed  their  miserable  victims  to  destruction,  and 
stung  them  to  death. 

The  battle  of  that  great  day  of  GOD  Almighty,  dues 
not,  I  apprehend,  denote  a  single  battle  ;  but  a  war,  or 
series  of  wars,  commenced,  and  carried  on,  in  succes 
sion  for  the  same  purpose :  just  as  the  word,  king,  de 
notes,  in  the  language  of  the  same  prophecy,  that  suc 
cession  of  "ings,  which  rule  over  a  given  kingdom  du 
ring  its  continuance.  This  battle  has  been  erroneous- 


t    33     ) 

ly  supposed  to  be  the  same  with  that,  mentioned,  Zech- 
ariah  xiv.  3,  4,  5,  Sc  14.  and  has  been  supposed  to  be  a 
single  battle,  fought  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Jerusa 
lem,  after  the  return  of  the  Jews  to  their  own  land. 
But  nothing1  can,  I  apprehend,  be  more  erroneous  than 
this  construction.  The  prophecy  has  not  even  a  re 
mote  reference  to  the  Jems,  nor  to  the<r  country.  Its 
scene  is  the  Romish  empire  :  and  its  object  is,  tirst,  the 
Hierarchy,  and  secondly,  the  people  governed  by  it. 
The  name,  Armageddon,  or  the  mountain  of  Megiddo, 
mistakenly  supposed  to  indicate,  that  Judcea  is  the 
scene  of  this  battle,  and  the  only  expression  in  the  pro 
phecy,  which  can  be  supposed  even  remotely  to  coun 
tenance  this  construction,  indicates  the  contrary.  As  a 
symbolical  expression,  it  very  naturally  denotes  the 
mountain  of  mourning,  as  was  specified  above;  be 
cause  several  afflicting  events  had  taken  place  at  Me*- 
giddo  ;  particularly  the  death  of  Josiah  ;  for  whom  a 
singular  public  mourning  was  instituted  with  great 
pomp  and  solemnity,  and  made  an  ordinance  in  Isra 
el.  In  consequence  of  this  event,  any  remarkable  pub 
lic  sorrow,  was,  among  the  Jews,  proverbially  compar 
ed  with  the  mourning  of  Megiddo.  Of  this  a  strong 
instance  is  furnished  by  the  prophet  Zechariah  ;  when 
he  compares  the  pre-eminent  sorrow  of  the  Jews,  after 
their  final  return  to  their  own  land,  for  their  sin  in  cru 
cifying  Christ,  to  the  mourning  instituted  for  Josiah. 
They  shall  mourn  for  him,  says  the  prophet,  as  one 
mourneth  for  his  only  son  ;  and  shall  be  in  bitterness 
for  him,  as  one  is  in  bittern  ss  for  his  jirst-born.  In 
that  day  there  shall  be  a  great  mourning  in  Jerusalem, 
as  the  mourning  of  Hadad  Rimmon  in  the  valley  of 


But  the  word  also  means  the  mountain  of  the 


pel,  and  in  this  sense  denotes  a  place,  or  places,  where 
the  Gospel  has  been  customarily  preached  ;  a  meaning* 
which,  as  you  well  know,  excludes  every  reference  to 
Judcea. 

As  a  literal  expression,  Armageddon  can  have  no 
meaning.  Megiddo  was  a  city  in  a  plain,  or  flat  val 
ley,  at  tiie  foot  of  Mount  Carmel.  There  is,  therefore, 
no  such  place  as  the  mountain  Meyiddo. 

The  great  day  o/  GOD  Almighty  denotes  here,  very 
obviously,  a  day  of  vengeance ;  a  day,  in  which  GOD 
will  singularly  manifest  himself;  in  which  his  agency 
will  be  distinctly  seen,  and  reverentially  acknowledged. 
It  is  expressly  styled  a  day  of  war ;  in  which  the  war 
is  his  own,  and  in  which  the  vengeance  will  be  inflict 
ed  openly  on  his  enemies.  Accordingly,  although 
these  malignant,  deceitful  spirits,  go  forth  to  the  kings 
of  the  earth,  and  of  the  whole  world,  to  gather  them  to 
the  battle  of  this  great  day,  it  is  yet  said,  that  GOD  him 
self  gathered  them  togetJier  in  a  place,  called  in  the  He 
brew  tongue,  Armageddon.  It  is,  therefore,  a  dispen 
sation  of  his  own,  in  which  these  profligate  deceivers 
are,  unwittingly,  instruments  of  accomplishing  his 
wrath  against  those  wicked  nations,  for  whom  it  has 
been  treasured  up. 

Let  us  now  revert  to  the  history.  The  European 
war,  which  began  in  the  year  1792,  has  no  parallel  in 
the  history  of  man,  since  the  deluge ;  whether  we  re 
gard  the  number  of  nations  engaged  in  it,  the  number 
of  armies  in  the  field,  the  number  of  battles,  the  multi 
tude  of  the  slain,  the  destruction  of  cities,  the  depopu 
lation  of  countries,  or  the  immense  ruin  and  devasta 
tion,  brought  upon  the  world. 

For  a  long  time  it  was  almost  a  continued  succes 
sion  of  battles  ;  generally  fought  with  great  obstinacy. 


and  prodigious  slaughter.    General  Danican,  a  French 
officer,  declares,  that  three  millions  of  Frenchmen  pe 
rished  within  the  first  four  or  five  years  of  the  Revo 
lution.    Of  the  inhabitants  of  La  Vendee  only,  a  single 
province  of  France,  700,000  tell  by  the  hand  of  vio 
lence.  From  the  close  of  that  period  to  the  present  time, 
thirteen  or  fourteen  years,  the  number  destroyed  can 
Scarcely  be  much  less.  In  the  two  great  battles  of  Prus* 
sian  Eylau  and  Aspern,  they  lost,  within  a  small  num 
ber,  100,000.  In  Spain,  and  Portugal,  they  are  suppo 
sed  to  have  lost  300,000.    But  the  strongest  proof  of  the 
vast  extent  of  the  ruin,  so  far  as  France  herself  is  con 
cerned,  is  found  in  this  great  fact ;  that,  notwithstand 
ing  the  annual  conscription,  amounting  to  a  prodigious 
number,  the  French  armies  are  sensibly  diminished  ; 
and  the  Emperor  has,  for  a  series  of  years,  been  com 
pelled  to  constitute  his  forces,  in  a  great  degree,  of 
other  nations.     At  the  same  time  he  has  anticipated,  in 
several  instances,  both  the  period  of  conscription,  and 
the   conscription    itself.     Notamg  could  prove  with 
more  certainty  the  immeasurable  waste  of  human  life 
in  this  mighty  and  populous  realm.     Accordingly, 
travellers  regularly  inform  us,  that  the  fields  of  France 
are  cultivated  chiefly  by  women  and  old  men. 

If  such  has  been  the  devastation  of  man  in  the  king-, 
dom  of  France  ;  we  cannot  but  be  assured,  that  the  de 
struction  must  have  borne  a  melancholy  proportion  to 
it  in  many  other  countries.  The  soldiers  of  Italy, 
Switzerland,  Austria,  Germany,  Batavia,  Belgium, 
Spain,  and  Poland,  have  fought  in  her  armies ;  and 
shared  in  the  common  slaughter.  All  these  coun 
tries  have,  also,  together  with  Prussia,  Russia,  arid 
Turkey,  been  invaded  by  her :  some  of  them  several 
times.  Their  inhabitants  have,  through  a  series  of 


(     36    > 

campaigns,  fought  against  her  armies  ;  and  the  coun 
tries  themselves  have,  to  a  great  extent,  been  wasted 
and  destroyed.  In  Germany  only,  it  has  been  com 
puted,  between  1  and  2,000,  000  of  mankind  perished 
by  famine,  in  consequence  of  a  single  French  invasion. 
Spain  and  Portugal  have  not  improbably  lost  from 
once  and  an  half  to  twice  the  number  of  the  French, 
\vho  have  fallen  in  their  country,  itussia  and  Turkey 
have  sacrificed  prodigious  numbers  of  their  inhabit-^ 
ants  in  a  war  between  themselves.  Sweden  also  has 
suliered  deeply.  It  will  be  no  excessive  estimate, 
therefore,  if  we  suppose  10,0000,000  of  mankind  to 
have  become  victims  to  this  overflowing  scourge  of 
heaven. 

It  is  declared  in  the  prophecy,  that,  these  deceivers, 
shall  go  forth  to  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  of  the 
whole  world,  to  gather  them  together  to  this  great  bat 
tle.  The  word  kings,  in  this  passage,  may,  with  the 
strictest  propriety,  be  considered  as  denoting  ;*ing-* 
doms.  Yet  it  deserves  our  particular  attention,  that 
the  kings  and  princes  of  Europe,  have,  in  a  far  great 
er  number  of  instances,  been  personally  engaged  in 
this  war,  than  in  any  other.  The  emperors  of  Aus 
tria,  France,  and  Russia  ;  the  brothers  of  them  all ; 
the  princes  of  the  house  of  Bourbon ;  the  king  of 
Prussia,  and  his  brother ;  several  of  the  British  prin 
ces ;  two  kings  of  Sweden ;  the  various  reigning 
princes  of  Germany,  and  Italy ;  and  a  prodigious 
number  of  the  nobility  of  ail  these  countries ;  have 
been  personally  present  at  these  hostilities.  All,  also, 
have  been  allured,  or  compelled,  either  directly  or 
consequentially,  to  this  scene  of  destruction  by  these 
abandoned  men. 


',  Nor  has  the  dispensation  stopped  here.  The  Em 
peror  of  Persia  has  been  once  engaged  by  a  part  of 
the  same  men  to  embark  in  their  great  design. — 
Tippoo  Saib  was  seduced  to  his  ruin  by  their  means. 
Their  emissaries  have  attempted  to  embroil  the 
Mahratfas,  and  Seiks,  in  the  contest ;  and,  as  there  is 
reason  to  believe,  have  raised  up  a  rebellion  in  Chi 
na,  for  the  same  purpose.  Lately  they  have  set  on 
fire  the  Spanish  World,  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic  ; 
and  the  flame,  unhappily,  has  reached  to  our  own 
shores. 

Whfcn,  let  me  ask,  were  the  kings,  and  kingdoms, 
of  the  whole  world,  ever  before  embarked  in  a  single 
war  ?  When  was  this  great  globe  so  agitated  to  its 
centre  ?  When,  since  men  were  upon  the  earth,  was 
there  so  mighty  an  earthquake,  and  so  great  P  With 
what  pre-eminent  propriety  may  this  be  called  the 
battle  of  the  great  day  of  GOD  Almighty? 

5.  During  this  period,  and  several  years  which 
preceded  it,  all  the  sources,  Jrom  which  the  Romish 
empire  derived  its  wealth,  strength,  and  safety,  have 
been  dried  up  ;  especially  by  being  diverted  into  otlwr 
channels. 

All  the  branches  of  the  Hierarchy  have  in  this 
manner  been  withered.  The  pontiff  has  been  broken 
down ;  forced  to  flee  for  his  life  ;  taken ;  confined  in 
a  prison  ;  stripped  of  his  wealth,  power,  and  dignity  ; 
persecuted ;  insulted ;  and  transformed  from  the 
mighty  ruler  of  Christendom,  into  a  poor,  dependent, 
beggared  old  man.  In  the  same  manner  have  the 
ecclesiastics  in  Spain,  Portugal,  Italy,  France,  and 
Germany,  been  stripped  of  their  possessions,  the  sa- 
credness  of  their  character,  and  their  magical  influ 
ence  ;  and  exposed  to  the  inroads  of  mere  brutal 


(     38     ) 

force,  against  which  they  can  make  no  resistance* — 
Whatever  else  may  be  the  consequence  of  this  terri 
ble  conflict ;  the  Romish  empire  is  ruined.  We  may, 
I  think,  fairly  consider  the  great  Voice  as  already  ut 
tered  out  of  the  temple  of  heaven,  from  the  thronet 
saying,  "  It  is  done."  The  Hierarchy  is  ruined. — 
Nothing  remains  of  the  system  but  fragments  :  and 
these,  in  ihe  ordinary  course  of  Providence,  can  never 
be  gathered  up. 

In  the  mean  time,  Christ  has  come  to  this  work  of 
judgment  as  a  thief  ;  in  a  manner,  the  most  sudden, 
the  most  astonishing,  the  most  terrible.  The  most 
sanguine  mind,  the  merest  enthusiast,  could  not  in 
the  year  1790  have  dreamed,  that  such  a  revolution  in 
the  Romish  empire  could  have  been  accomplished 
tvithin  22  years. 

Gthly.  As  this  great  work  is  in  substance  done  / 
ihe  bials,  if  they  are  to  be  poured  out  hereafter,  trill 
have  no  object,  on  which  their  force  may  be  employed. 

Almost  all  that  now  remains  of  this  work,  accord 
ing  to  the  language  of  these  prophecies,  is  the  in 
fliction  of  those  additional  f  itdgments,  which  they  in 
clude,  upon  the  guilty  nations,  inhabiting  its  extensive 
dominions.  All  these  vials  are  poured  out  upon  the 
Hierarchy.  Of  course,  this  dominion  must  exist,  in 
order  to  make  the  fulfilment  of  these  prophecies  possi 
ble.  But  its  existence  has  substantially  gone ;  and 
the  remaining  contents  of  the  seventh  vial,  which  I 
consider  as  now  in  effusion,  will  be  amply  sufficient 
to  finish  its  destruction. 

This  long  discussion,  which  I  consider  as  essen 
tially  involved  in  the  answer  to  the  question,  in  the 
text,  I  have  made  as  summary  as  1  couid.  I  hope  it 


(    30     ) 

will  be  found  not  destitute  of  instruction  to  thos£ 
who  hear  me. 

The  next  great  division  of  this  answer,  respects  the 
state  of  that  religion  which  has  been  so  wonderfully  as 
sailed,  and  which,  like  the  burning  bush,  has  never 
yet  been  consumed.  Here  it  is  to  be  observed, 

1st.      That  religion  has,  in  several  parts  of   the 
Christian  world,  unusually  prevailed. 

This  observation  is  very  extensively  applicable  to 
our  own  country.  Sixteen  years  since,  a  revival  of  re 
ligion  commenced  in  the  neighbouring  town  of  Mil- 
ford;  and  spread  throughout  a  considerable  portion  of 
its  inhabitants.  This,  so  far  as  my  knowledge  extends, 
was  the  first  instance  of  the  same  nature  in  Nem- 
Enaland,  for  many  years,  which  was  considerable 
enough  to  attract  the  public  attention.  About  the 
year  1752,  a  powerful  prevalence  of  vital  piety,  which 
had  existed  for  12  or  15  years,  and  during  which 
converts  had  been  wonderfully  multiplied,  both  here 
and  in  many  othar  countries,  appeared  so  far  to  de 
cline,  that  the  accessions,  gained  by  the  Ctmrch,  were 
in  a  great  measure  single,  and  scarcely  observed. — 
In  the  year  1755,  the  last  Canadian  war  broke  out; 
and  continued  eight  years.  In  1764,  that  which 
followed  the  peace  of  Paris,  our  political  disputes 
with  Great-  Britain  began ;  and  the  turmoil,  which 
they  occasioned,  increased  almost  regularly  till  it 
terminated  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  This  began 
in  1775,  and  continued  till  1783.  The  next  5  years 
the  inhabitants  of  the  United  States  were  in  continual 
agitation  concerning  their  government.  At  length, 
in  1788,  the  present  Constitution,  having  been  adopt- 
e<  the  present  system  commenced  its  operations ; 
auii  in  a  good  degree  restored  order,  and  stability, 


fcd  tlie  public  affairs  of  our  country.  The  great  prin 
ciples,  upon  which  we  were  to  act  as  a  nation,  were, 
liowever,  to  be  settled ;  and  the  minds  of  men  were 
to  a  great  extent  engrossed  by  them  ;  partly  on  ac 
count  of  their  novelty,  and  partly  on  account  of  their 
importance.  War  is  not  less  ruinous  to  the  morals  of 
a  community,  than  to  property  and  life.  The  effects 
of  both  the  wars,  which  have  been  mentioned,  were 
in  this  respect  eminently  malignant.  Peculiarly  is 
this  true  of  the  last.  It  unhinged  the  principles,  the 
morality,  and  the  religion,  of  this  country,  more  than 
could  have  been  done  by  a  peace  of  40  years.  The 
political  disputes,  which  followed  it,  had  also  a  very 
unfavourable  aspect  on  the  moral  interests  of  the  na 
tion.  The  minds  of  men  were  engrossed  by  them ; 
and  their  hearts  drawn  away  from  their  religion,  and 
their  GOD.  The  comparative  importance  of  politics 
was  swollen  beyond  all  bounds  :  and  it  seemed  as  if 
men  had  forgotten,  in  many  instances,  that  they  were 
not  to  live  here  for  ever,  or  that  there  was  beyond  the 
grave  a  world  either  of  happiness  or  misery.  At  the 
close  of  this  bustling  period,  however,  Religion  began 
to  come  in  for  some  share  of  human  attention  ;  and 
GOD,  in  his  boundless  mercy,  was  pleased  to  remem 
ber  those  with  compassion,  who  to  a  great  extent  had 
forgotten  Him.  The  flame,  once  kindled,  soon 
spread  through  a  considerable  part  of  the  land.  In 
fidelity  began  to  stop  her  mouth,  and  licentiousness  to 
exhibit  a  blush,  to  which  she  had  been  long  a  stran 
ger.  Christians  awaked ;  ministers  were  invigorated ; 
the  hoiise  of  GOD  was  extensively  filled  ;  and  the 
ways  of  Zion,  in  a  great  measure,  ceased  to  mourn, 
because  few  came  to  her  solemn  feasts.  In  New- Eng 
land  y  and  in  several  other  countries  on  this  side  of  the 


(    41     ) 

Atlantic,  times  of  refreshing  came /row  the  presence  of 
the  Lord. 

From  the  date  above  mentioned  to  the  present  hour, 
the  blessing  has  never  been  withdrawn.  In  two  re 
markable  instances  it  has  visited  this  Seminary,  in 
which  about  120  of  the  youths,  who  had  come  to  it 
for  education,  entered  the  Church  of  Christ ;  almost 
all  of  whom,  there  is  good  reason  to  believe,  are  now 
vessels  of  honour,  and  usefulness,  in  his  house.  The 
same  work  is  still  going  on  prosperously  in  several 
parts  of  the  county  of  Litc/ifield,  in  this  State,  and  in 
several  others  of  Massachusetts  and  New- Hampshire. 
It  is  also  extending  itself  elsewhere,  particularly  in 
the  State  of  ./Yew-  York. 

What  has  been  so  happily  begun,  here,  has  been  ex 
tensively  realized,  also,  in  Great- Britain.  The  friends 
of  religion  in  that  island,  exult  in  a  very  important 
change  in  their  moral  circumstances ;  and,  while  they 
mention  many  things  to  be  lamented,  congratulate 
themselves,  and  the  public,  on  many  other  things,  as 
solid  foundations  of  rejoicing.  The  enemies,  also,  of 
vital  piety  complain  of  this  fact  in  the  same  direct 
manner  ;  and  the  evidence  derived  from  both,  is  deci 
sive.  The  change,  there,  is  widely  extended ;  and 
is  continually  spreading  to  a  still  greater,  and  greater 
extent.  The  best  hopes  may,  therefore,  be  entertained 
concerning  it,  by  all  who  love  the  Gospel. 

In  the  year  1792,  was  formed  in  England,  a  Society 
styled  the  Baptist  Missionary  Society;  and  in  the 
year  1795,  another  Society  of  the  same  nature;  com 
prising  Christians  of  various  denominations,  and  styl 
ed  the  London  Missionary  Society :  both  intended 
for  the  purpose  of  Christianizing  the  Heathen.  Soon 
after,  several  others  were  formed  also;  particularly 

6 


the  Edinburgh  Missionary  Society,  and  the  Society  for 
Missions  to  Africa  and  the  East.  In  this  honourable 
train  our  own  country  soon  followed ;  and  raised  up 
a  numerous  succession  of  Missionary  societies,  for 
the  purpose  of  supplying  the  wants  of  our  brethren 
in  the  new-settlements,  and  christianizing  the  Indians 
on  our  borders.  To  these  have  been  lately  added  a 
considerable  number  of  Societies,  established  for  the 
purpose  of  sending"  Missionaries  to  foreign  countries  ; 
and  this  number  is  continually  increasing. 

In  the  year  1804,  a  society  was  formed  in  London 9 
for  the  purpose  of  sending  the  Bible,  in  the  different 
languages  of  mankind,  into  the  countries  where  those 
languages  are  spoken,  named  tlie  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society.  To  this  have  been  added  auxiliary  so 
cieties  in  many  parts  of  Great- Britain,  in  Ireland, 
and  in  several  countries  of  Europe:  and  seventeen 
such  societies  have  been  formed  in  the  American 
States.  One  also  has  risen  up  at  Calcutta. 

The  exertions,  made  by  these  Missionary  and  Bi 
ble  Societies,  form  a  new  sera  in  the  history  of  Chris 
tianity.  It  will  be  remembered,  that  four  years  be 
fore  the  first  distinguished  revival  of  religion  com 
menced  in  this  state,  the  first  of  these  Missionary  So 
cieties  was  formed ;  and,  eight  years  afterwards,  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  the  parent  of  all 
the  rest.  Within  these  20  years,  more  has  been  done 
to  spread  the  Gospel  among  those,  who  did  not  enjoy 
its  blessings,  than  has  probably  been  done  in  the  two 
preceding  centuries ;  more,  unless  we  are  to  except 
the  times  of  the  h (formation ,  than  has  been  done 
since  the  early  ages  of  Christianity.  Missions  have 
been  formed  in  the  isles  of  the  Southern  Ocean,  in 
New-Holland,  in  China,  in  the  Birman  Empire  ;  in 


(     43     ) 

the  island  of  Ceylon,  in  many  parts  of  Hindostan,  in 
Tartary,  in  many  parts  of  Africa,  on  the  southern 
continent  of  America,  in  the  West- Indies,  in  Nova~ 
Scotia,  Canada,  the  country  of  Labrador,  and  Green- 
land.  Almost  all  these  have  met  with  some  success, 
and  several  of  them  with  much.  The  prospect  of 
success,  also,  which  was  at  first  faint  and  doubtful, 
has  been  shining  more  and  more,  as  there  is  reason  to 
hope,  unto  the  perfect  day. 

Bibles  also,  and  Testaments,  have  been  distributed 
already  in  such  numbers,  and  in  such  a  variety  of 
languages,  as  almost  exceeds  belief.  What  is  remark 
able,  many  Roman  Catholic  ministers  have  readily 
permitted  the  free  use  of  the  Bible  to  the  people  un 
der  their  charge ;  and,  what  is  still  more  remarkable, 
one  Bible  -Society  has  been  formed  among  Catholics. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  Scriptures  have  been  trans 
lated,  either  partially  or  wholly,  into  19  Asiatic  lan 
guages.  Into  four  of  them,  the  whole  Bible  ;  into  eight 
more,  the  whole  New  Testament ;  and  a  part  of  the 
Old,  and  the  whole  New  Testament,  into  two  more. 
In  ten  of  these  languages,  the  New  Testament  is 
either  in  the  press,  or  has  been  printed „  In  one  of 
them,  the  whole  Bible,  and  three  editions  of  the  New 
Testament ;  in  another,  two  editions  of  the  Gospel  ; 
and  in  several  others,  parts  of  the  Old  Testament.— 
Jn  this  manner,  the  Scriptures  have  been  actually 
sent  in  their  various  languages  to  every  nation  in  Eu 
rope,  except  the  Turks ;  and,  if  I  mistake  not,  a 
translation  of  them  into  the  Turkish  language  is  in 
good  forwardness.  They  have  also  been  distributed 
into  various  parts  of  Asia,  Africa,  and  of  both  North 
and  South  America  The  liberality,  zeal,  and  activi 
ty,  with  which  all  this  has  been  accomplished,  has  been 


(     44     ) 

wonderful ;  and,  what  perhaps  is  no  less  wonderful, 
it  has  been  regularly  increasing-  to  the  present  hour. 
St.  Paul  directed  the  Thessalonians  to  pray,  that  the 
word  of  the  Lord  miyht  have  free  course,  and  be  glori- 
fr  d  ;  or,  as  it  is  in  the  original,  miyht  run,  and  be 
glorified;  even  as  it  was  among  themselves.  The 
good  men,  who  are  now  living,  who  have  so  often 
prayed  for  this  blessing,  behold  their  prayers  answer 
ed  in  a  manner  new,  singular,  most  delightful  to 
themselves,  and  most  glorious  to  their  Creator.  Now 
he  sendetli  forth  his  commandment  upon  earth  ;  his 
word  runneth  very  swiftly  ;  to  the  amazement  of  the 
most  sanguine,  and  to  the  unutterable  joy  of  the 
virtuous.  Now,  also,  many  run  to  and  fro,  according 
to  the  promise,  made  to  Daniel ;  and  knowledge  is 
wonderfully  increased;  and  many  are  purified  and 
made  white. 

These  things  Christianity  has  accomplished,  or  ra 
ther  GOD  has  accomplished  them  for  her,  in  this  day 
of  darkness  and  gloominess,  of  clouds  and  thick  dark 
ness. 

Nor  ought  any  Watchman  to  forget,  on  such  an 
occasion  as  the  present,  the  mighty  change  in  human 
affairs,  accomplished  by  the  final  termination  of  that 
disgrace  to  the  name  of  man,  that  insult  to  Heaven, 
the  African  .slave-trade.  This  is  a  glorious  proof, 
that  GOD  has  not  forgotten  to  be  gracious  to  the  pre 
sent  generation  of  mankind.  Accordingly,  he  has  at 
the  very  time,  when  this  vast  reformation  was  ac 
complished,  and  in  that  very  nation,  by  which  it  was 
first  carried  into  final  execution,  discovered  the  means, 
in  the  Jennerian  innoculation,  of  preserving,  annually 
the  lives  of  2,000,000  of  mankind. 


(     45     ) 

Such  is  a  summary  view  of  the  brighter  parts  of 

this  immensely  interesting  scene.     Let  us  now  see, 

whether  we  may  not  derive  from  it  some  profitable 

instruction  to  ourselves.      We  have  many  things  to 

fear,  and  some,  I  trust,  to  hope. 

There  are  three  extensive  reasons,  why  we  should 
fear.  The  first  of  these  is,  the  general  aspect  of  pro 
phecy,  and  of  the  times.  If  I  am  right  in  my  exposi 
tion  of  these  prophecies,  the  terrible  judgments,  which 
the  last  of  them  denounces,  are  not  yet  finished ;  and 
the  language,  in  which  these  are  conveyed,  is  suffi 
ciently  alarming  to  shake  the  stoutest  heart.  Such  ex 
actly  is  the  state  of  things  at  the  present  moment.  The 
war,  the  slaughter,  the  devastation,  the  terror,  the  bon 
dage,  the  wo,  are,  to  the  human  eye,  far  from  their  ter 
mination.  With  us,  the  war  is  merely  begun.  What 
will  be  the  future  career  of  these  evils,  no  eye,  but  the 
Omniscient,  can  foresee.  No  men  are  so  hood-wink 
ed,  so  kindred  to  the  mole,  as  those,  who  confidently 
believe,  that  they  foresee  them.  Of  such  men  I  ask, 
"  Who  hath  known  the  mind  of  the  Lord?  Who  hath 
been  his  counsellor  P  Who  beside  His  Spirit,  can  search 
the  deep  things  of  GOD  ?"  It  is  enough  for  us  to  know, 
that,  when  every  island  shall fiee  away,  the  cities  of  the 
nations  fall,  the  mountains  cease  to  be  found,  and  the 
great  hail  come  down  upon  men  out  of  heaven,  the  pe 
riod  will  be  sufficiently  distressing  to  overwhelm  with 
terror,  distress,  and  amazement,  all  the  bold,  impious 
wretches,  who  every  where  say  to  themselves, "  Peace" 
when  there  is  no  peace.  Who  can  tell  what  even  a  day 
may  bring  forth  P  "  The  beginning  of  strife"  says  Solo 
mon,  "  is  as  when  one  letteth  out  water"  The  breach, 
small  at  first,  often  becomes  a  vast  chasm,  and  the  lit- 


(     46     ) 

x 

tie  stream,  which  trickled  through  it,  swells  into  a  de 
luge. 

The  second  of  these  reasons  is,  the  sinful  character 
oj  our  nation.  Notwithstanding  the  prevalence  of  Re 
ligion,  which  I  have  described,  the  irreligion,  and  the 
wickedness,  of  our  land  are  such,  as  to  furnish  a  most 
painful  and  melancholy  prospect  to  a  serious  mind. 
We  formed  our  Constitution  without  any  acknowledg 
ment  ok  GOD  ;  without  any  recognition  of  his  mercies 
to  us,  as  a  people,  of  his  government,  or  even  of  his 
existence.  The  Convention,  by  which  it  was  formed, 
never  asked,  even  once,  his  direction,  or  his  blessing 
upon  their  labours.  Thus  we  commenced  our  nation 
al  existence  under  the  present  system,  without  GOD.  1 
wish  I  could  say,  that  a  disposition  to  render  him  the 
reverence,  due  to  his  great  J\ame,  and  the  gratitude, 
demanded  by  his  innumerable  mercies,  had  been  more 
public,  visible,  uniform,  and  tervent. 

At  the  same  time  I  have  no  hesitation  to  say,  thai 
the  eagerness,  with  which  public  offices  are  hunted  for, 
and  the  sacrifices  of  principle  and  conscience,  which, 
as  we  have  but  too  much  reason  to  believe,  are  made, 
in  order  to  acquire  them,  constitute  a  great  and  dread 
ful  sin ;  and  are  a  deep  brand  upon  the  moral  charac 
ter  of  our  country.  Let  it  not  be  here  supposed,  that  I 
intend  in  this,  or  in  any  other  observation,  to  refer,  even 
remotely,  to  any  particular  party,  or  political  dispute, 
which  now  exists,  or  has  heretofore  existed.  I  stand 
in  the  presence  of  GOD  ;  I  speak  in  his  name.  While, 
therefore,  /  shall  not  shun  to  declare  his  counsel,  I  in 
tend  not  to  dishonour  HIM,  nor  to  trifle  away  this  so 
lemn  season,  in  reciting  the  feelings  of  spleen,  and  the 
pitiful  imputations,  sneers,  and  obloquy,  of  party-spirit. 
Our  whole  business  lies  with  our  sins,  and  the  judg- 


(     47     ) 

tftents  of  GOD.  Let  me  warn  all,  who  hear  me,  not 
to  spend  this  day  in  secretly  quarrelling1  with  their 
neighbours,  or  their  government.  Let  me  warn  eve 
ry  one  to  mourn  for  his  own  sins,  and  those  of  his 
country ;  and  to  tremble  at  the  mighty  hand  of  GOD. 

This  very  party-spirit  itself,  this  hostility  between 
citizens  of  the  same  country,  between  neighbour  and 
neighbour,  friend  and  friend,  nay,  often  between  bro 
ther  and  brother,  father  and  son ;  is  a  great  aad  dread 
ful  evil ;  a  smoke  in  the  nostrils  of  JE  HOVAH  ;  an 
abomination,  which  he  cannot  away  with.  Think  how 
many  unkind  thoughts,  how  many  slanders,  how  ma 
ny  malignant  threatenings,  have  been  vented  fcy  this 
disposition  against  persons  of  an  opposite  party  ;  not 
one  of  which,  in  a  great  proportion  of  instances, 
would  perhaps  have  been  thought  of,  had  the  objects  of 
them  been  of  our  own.  lu  this  respect  we  do  less,  and 
worse,  than  publicans  and  sinners. 

The  eagerness,  with  which  wealth  is  coveted,  and 
sought,  by  our  countrymen,  is  another  deplorable  proof 
of  that  love  of  the  world,  which  is  utterly  inconsistent 
with  the  love  of  GOD. 

How  oftefi  is  that  glorious,  and  fearful  name,  JE 
HOVAH  OUR  GOD,  profaned  in  our  streets! 

To  what  a  terrible  extent  has  the  brutal  sin  of 
drunkenness  spread  through  our  land  !  To  such  an 
extent,  that  most,  if  not  all,  of  those  ecclesiastical  bo 
dies,  which  preside  over  extensive  divisions  of  the 
Christian  Church  in  this  country,  have  thought  it  ne 
cessary  to  e.iter  into  a  course  of  public,  solemn  mea 
sures,  for  the  purpose  of  instituting  a  general,  and  effi 
cacious,  resistance  to  its  progress. 

Falsehood,  also,  in  all  its  various  forms,  is,  unless  I 
am  deceived,  a  more  wideiy  extended,  and  dreadful- 


(     48     ) 

ly  pernicious,  evil,  than  any  of  those  which  I  have?- 
mentioned.  Think  of  the  character,  to  which  custom- 
house  oaths  are  reduced.  Think  of  the  tenor  of  oaths 
of  office :  and  then  examine  the  tenour  of  the  conduct, 
which,  in  some  instances,  actually  follows  them. 

At  the  same  time,  how  widely  have  our  elections,  in  a 
multitude  of  cases,  veered  from  the  tenour  of  our  na- 
tionaland  state  Constitutions  ;  from  our  original  profes 
sions  ;  from  all  that  is  free,  and  unbiassed  ;  and  from 
the  tremendous  obligation,  assumed  in  the  oath  of 
those  who  elect ! 

How  often  is  the  eye  pained,  and  the  soul  wounded 
to  the  quick,  by  the  dismal  recitals  of  fashionable  mur 
der  ;  perpetrated  in  defiance  of  all  laws  of  GOD  and 
man;  and  yet  left  unpunished  by  the  very  govern 
ment,  which  is  thus  insulted  to  its  face  ?  Remember^ 
that  GOD  hath  said*  The  land  cannot  be  cleansed  of 
the  blood9  which  is  shed  therein*  but  by  the  blood  of 'him 
that  shed  it. 

To  close  this  painful  catalogue,  already  long,  and  un 
happily  capable  of  being  made  much  longer,  I  observe* 
that  more  than  2,000,000, 1  am  afraid  I  might  say,  more 
than  3,000,000  of  our  countrymen,  there  is  too  much 
reason  to  believe,  have,  and  long  have  had,  no  regular^ 
stated  worship  ofGoT>,  and  are  without  any  settled  mi 
nisters  of  the  Gospel,  any  Churches,  and  of  course  with 
out  any  religion.  "  Shall  1  not  avenge  for  these 
things"  saith  JEHOVAH;  "shall  not  my  soul  be  aveng 
ed  on  suck  a  nation,  as  this  ?"  "  Oh,  that  thou  hadst 
hearkened  to  my  commandments :  then  had  thy  peace 
been  as  a  river,  and  thy  righteousness,  as  the  waves  of 
the  sea  /" 

The  third  of  these  reasons  is  found  in  our  peculiar 

circumstances. 


(     49     ) 

1.  A  great  part  of  our  countrymen  believe  the  war  in 
tvhich  we  are  engaged,  to  be  unnecessary  and  unjust. 
This  is  true  of  many  members  of  the  national  Legis 
lature  ;  of  a  great  multitude  of  members,  belonging  to 
the  state  Legislatures ;  and  of  a  vast  multitude  of  the 
inhabitants,  embodied  in  both  of  the  great  political  par 
ties.     It  is  not  my  province  to  determine  whether  this 
opinion  is  just,  or  unjust.     That  a  war  should  exist, 
and  yet  such  an  opinion  prevail  so  extensively,  cannot 
but  be  unhappy.     On  the  part  of  all,  by  whom  it  is  re 
ceived,  it  cannot  but  embarras  their  consciences,  their 
conduct,  and  even  their  prayers.     That  the   nation, 
with  whom  we  are  at  war,  has  done  us  repeated  inju 
ries,  is  admitted  on  all  hands.     Still  the  questions  re 
cur,  and  are  to  be  answered  ;  whether  our  own  hands 
are  clean  $   whether  we  have   used  all  the  measures 
to  preserve  peace,  which  are  demanded  of  a  Christian 
nation ;  and  whether  the  war  promises  to  us  any  real 
good,  sufficiently  important  to  compensate  for  the  loss 
of  life,  property,  and  comfort,  which  it  must  necessari 
ly  involve  ;  for  the  innumerable  sins,  which  it  will  oc 
casion  ;  and  for  the  varied  and  manifold  evils,  which 
it  will  produce.     When  we  think  how  great  must  be 
that  loss,  and  how  many  those  sins  and  miseries  ;  the 
subject  becomes  solemn,  painful,  and  melancholy,  to  a 
Sober  man,  in  a  degree  which  it  will  be  difficult  to  as 
sign. 

2dly.  We  have  begun  this  war,  almost  without  any 
preparation. 

In  ancient  tithes  it  was  determined  by  very  high 
authority  to  be  wise  for  him,  who  was  about  to  build  a 
tower,  or  going  to  make  war,  to  sit  down  first  and  count 
the  cost,  whether  he  had  sufficient  to  finish  the  under 
taking. 

7 


(     50     ) 

3.  Our  enemy  is  so  situated,  as  to  be  able  seriously 
to  distress  us,  with  little  expense,  inconvenience,  or  ex 
posure. 

Our  extensive  coast  is  lined,  in  a  great  measure, 
with  cities  and  villages ;  including  a  great  part  of  our 
wealth,  and  not  a  small  one  of  our  population.  Most 
of  these  may  be  invaded,  and  destroyed,  with  little  dif 
ficulty.  A  vast  mass  of  our  property  is  either  floating 
on  the  ocean,  or  lying  in  the  harbours  of  other  nations. 
The  exposure  of  this  property,  and  of  the  unfortunate 
men,  destined  to  convey  it  homeward,  need  not  be 
specified. 

Our  northern  frontier  extends  not  far  from  2000 
miles.  A  considerable  part  of  it  is  settled,  and  every 
where  exposed  to  the  inroads  of  the  enemy.  A  great 
part  of  the  western  frontier  is  left  naked  to  the  incur 
sions  of  the  savages,  with  whom,  unhappily,  we  are 
on  the  worst  of  terms. 

The  British  are  said  to  have  10,000  black  troops, 
and  the  Spaniards,  with  whom  also  we  are  contend 
ing,  5,000  more*  in  the  West-Indian  islands.  These 
men  have  long  been  formed  into  military  regiments, 
and  inured  to  a  strict  military  discipline  Should  they 
be  landed  in  East-Florida ;  it  would  be  impossible  to 
predict  the  consequences.  He  who  remembers  the 
state,  extent,  and  feelings,  of  our  black  population, 
and  calls  to  mind,  that  GOD  is  just,  will  look  at  this 
object  with  a  pained  eye,  and  an  aching  heart. 

4.  There  is  not  a  little  reason  to  fear,  that  we  may 
by  this  war  be  brought  into  an  Alliance  zvith  France. 

The  Jews  often  betook  themselves  in  their  troubles 
to  the  surrounding  nations  for  help ;  to  Syria,  to  Eyypt, 
and  to  Assyria.  The  language  of  GOD  on  this  sub 
ject  is  regularly,  "  Wo  to  them  that  go  down  to  Egypt 


(     61     ) 

«  for  help,  to  strengthen  themselves  in  the  strength 
"  of  Pharaoh,  and  to  trust  in  the  shadow  of  Egypt. — 
"  When  the  Lord  shall  stretch  out  his  hand,  both  he 
«  that  helpeth  shall  fall,  and  he  that  is  holpen  shall 
'<  fall  down,  and  they  shall  all  fail  together." 

Egypt  and  Assyria  were  the  chief  enemies  of  GOD, 
and  his  Church,  in  ancient  times.  In  modern  times, 
the  chief  enemy  of  both,  has  been  the  Romish  empire. 
Almost  all  the  reasons,  which  forbade  the  Jews  to 
unite  with  Egypt  and  Assyria,  forbid  us  to  unite  with 
th*'s  empire.  Some  exist,  and  operate,  in  a  still  high 
er  degree  :  and  some  can  be  alleged  in  our  case, 
which  could  not  be  urged  in  theirs.  Speaking  of  the 
people  of  Canaan,  GOD  says  to  the  Israelites,  "  Thou 
"  shalt  make  no  covenant  with  them;"  And  again, 
"  Take  heed  to  thyself,  lest  thou  make  a  covenant 
"  with  the  people  of  tfce  land,  whither  thou  goest, 
"  lest  it  be  for  a  snare  in  the  midst  of  thee,"  Of  the 
kingdom  of  Israel,  Hosea  said,  *  Ephraim  feedeth 
"  on  wind,  and  followeth  after  the  east  wind.  He 
"  daily  increaseth  lies,  and  desolation;  and  they  do 
"  make  a  covenant  with  the  Assyrians,  and  otif  is 
"  carried  into  Egypt :"  i.  e.  precious  ointments,  fles- 
tined  as  a  present  to  purchase  the  friendship  of  Pha 
raoh.  The  alliances,  here  spoken  of,  were  to  the  Is 
raelites  means  of  their  ruin.  In  the  like  manner, 
speaking  of  the  present  times,  and  of  the  spiritual  Ba- 
fyion  or  Romish  empire,  St.  John  says,  "  And  I 
"  heard  another  voice  from  heaven,  saying,  Come 
"  out  of  her,  my  people,  that  ye  be  not  partakers  of 
"  her  sins,  and  that  ye  receive  not  of  her  plagues : 
«  for  her  sins  have  reached  unto  heaven ;  and  GOD 
*  hath  remembered  her  iniquities."  This  solemn  in«. 


(    5-2     ) 

junction  every  Christian  will  regard  with  the  deepest, 
concern,  and  obey  with  the  most  scrupulous  exactness. 

The  state  of  facts  is,  however,  such,  that  the  com 
mand,  important  as  it  is,  would  hardly  seem  necessary. 
France  is  the  chief  division  of  this  empire ;  and  then- 
king  has  long  since  been  named  the  eldest  son  of  the 
Church.  At  the  present  time,  France  is,  in  a  sense, 
almost  the  whole  of  this  empire.  Every  protestant 
nation,  which  has  disobeyed  this  command,  and  allied 
itself  to  this  antichristian  power,  has  received  of  her* 
plagues ;  and  extensively  partaken,  also,  oj  her  sins. 
This,  peculiarly,  has  been  the  crime,  and  the  ruin,  of 
Geneva,  Switzerland,  Holland,  Prussia,  and  the 
Protestant  States  in  Germany.  Reason,  therefore, 
and  experience,  as  well  as  revelation,  write  our  duty 
with  sun-beams. 

On  this  subject  my  feelings  are  inexpressible.  To 
•ally  America  to  France,  is  to  chain  living  health  and 
beauty,  to  a  corpse  dissolving  with  the  plague.  The 
evils,  which  we  have  already  suffered  from  this  im 
pure  and  monstrous  connexion,  are  terrible  omens  of 
the  destruction,  which  we  are  to  expect  from  a  con 
nexion  still  more  intimate.  The  horrors  of  war,  com 
pared  with  it,  are  mere  amusement.  The  touch  of 
France  is  pollution.  Her  embrace  is  death. 

The  end  of  all  these  observations  is  to  warn,  to  re 
buke,  and  to  reclaim ;  to  persuade  to  repentance,  an4 
to  effectuate  reformation.  "  At  what  instant,"  saith 
GOD,  "  /  shall  speak  concerning  a  nation,  to  pluck  up, 
and  to  pull  down,  and  to  destroy  it ;  if  that  nation 
turn  from  their  evil,  I  will  repent  of  the  evil,  which  I 
thought  to  do  unto  them."  The  way  of  safety  is,  there 
fore,  a  high-way  ;  and  wayfaring  men,  though  fools, 
need  not  err  therein.  Repentance  and  reformation 


(     53     ) 

will  certainly  make  us  safe,  prosperous,  and  lhappy.— 
Our  great  duty,  as  taught  in  the  text,  is  to  inquire 
concerning  our  sin  and  danger,  to  return  to  GOD  and 
come  back  to  the  obedience  of  his  will. 

Can  you  want  motives  to  compel  you  to  this  duty  ? 
Turn  your  eyes  to  Europe.  Where  are  the  republics, 
which  once  flourished,  there,  in  freedom,  virtue,  and 
happiness  ?  T  heir  pomp  is  brought  down  to  the  grave, 
and  the  noise  of  their  viols.  1  he  worm  is  spread  un 
der  them,  and  the  worms  cover  them.  Where  are  her 
kingdoms ;  which  once,  like  the  cedars  of  Lebanon, 
exalted  themselves  above  all  the  trees  of  the  field  ;  and 
under  their  shadow  dwelt  great  nations.  2  heir  boughs 
are  blasted  and  withered.  The  strangers,  the  terrible 
of  the  nations,  have  cut  them  off" ;  and  the  people  of 
the  earth  are  gone  down  from  their  shadow  ;  and  the 
earth  has  shaken  at  the  sound  of  their  fall,  ipon 
their  ruins  the  fowls  of  heaven  remain  ;  and  the  beasts 
of  the  field  upon  their  branches.  Where  are  her 
cities  ?  They  have  been  searched  with  candles  .  their 
goods  have  become  a  booty,  and  their  houses  a  desola 
tion.  Where  are  her  princes  and  nobles  ?  Behold, 
the  Lord  of  hosts  hath  taken  away  the  mighty  man, 
the  man  of  war,  the  judge  and  the  prophet,  the  pru 
dent  and  the  ancient,  the  captain  of  fifty  and  the  ho 
nourable  man  and  the  counsellor,  and  the  cunning  ar 
tificer  and  the  eloquent  orator.  Their  kings  have  gone 
into  captivity  ;  their  priests,  and  their  princes  together. 
They  have  called  their  nobles  to  the  kingdom;  but 
none  were  there  ;  and  their  princes  have  become  no 
thing.  Look  at  her  fields  :  they  are  whitened  with  hu 
man  bones,  and  drenched  in  human  blood. 

The  day,  in  which  our  lot  is  fallen,  is  a  day  of 
wrath ;   a  day   of  trouble  and  distress ;   a  day  of 


(     54     ) 

Wasting  and  desolation.  It  is  the  day  of  the  Lord?* 
vengeance  ;  the  year  of  recompenses  for  the  controver 
sies  of  Zion.  The  earth  is  utterly  broken  down ; 
the  earth  is  clean  dissolved;  the  earth  is  moved  exceed 
ingly.  For  behold,  JEHOVAH  cometh  out  of  his  place, 
to  punish  the  inhabitants  for  their  iniquity  ;  to  punish 
the  hosts  of  the  lugh  ones,  which  are  on  high,  and  t/te 
kings  of  the  earth  upon  the  earth.  For  his  indigna 
tion  is  upon  all  nations,  and  his  fury  upon  all  their 
armies.  He  is  visibly  pleading  against  them  with  pes 
tilence,  and  with  blood,  with  an  overflowing  rain,  and 
great  hailstones,  jire  and  brimstone. 

What,  in  this  terrible  day,   is  to  become   of  us? 
Shall  we  trust  in  the  multitude  of  chariots,   and  of 
horses  P     Shall  we  confide  in  Egypt  P     Shall  we  lean 
upon  Assyria  P     Or  shall  we  turn  to  GOD  with  all 
the   heart,    with  fasting,    with    weeeping,    and    with 
mourning  P     Shall  we  not  make  the  eternal  GOD  our 
refuge.     He  is  gracious  and  mercijul,  slow  to  anger, 
of  great  kindness,  and  repenteth  him  of  the  evil.     Sliall 
we  not  say  of  JEHOVAH,  "  He  is  our  refuge,  and  our 
fortress;  our  GOD  ;  in  him  will  we  trust  P"     Surely 
lie  will  deliver  us  from  the  snare  of  the  fowler,  and 
from   the  noisome  pestilence.      Then  may  we  say  to 
our  land,  "  Thou  shall  not  be  afraid  for  the  terror  by 
night  ;  nor  for  the  arrow  thatflieth  by  day  ;  nor  for 
the  pestilence  that  rvaLeth  in  darkness ;  nor  for  the 
destruction  that  wasteth  at   noon-day.     A  thousand 
shall  fall  at  thy  side,  and  ten  thousand  at  thy  right 
Jwmd:  but  it  shall   not  come  nigh  thee.     Only  with 
thine  eyes  shall  thou  behold,  and  see  the  reward  of  the 
wicked.     Because  thou  hast  made  the  Lord,  who  is  my 
refuge,  even  the  Most  High,  thy  habitation." 


ESTT2ThOOD 


S3iavuan 


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